The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. Prior to 1914 the holder of the office was often referred to as Commander-in-Chief, Devonport. The Commanders-in-Chief were based in what is now Hamoaze House, Devonport, Plymouth from 1809 to 1934 and then at Admiralty House, Mount Wise, Devonport from 1934 until 1996.
The post dates back to around 1743. It extended along the South Coast from Exmouth in East Devon to Penzance in Cornwall. In 1941, during World War II, elements of Plymouth Command were transferred to Western Approaches Command which was established at Derby House in Liverpool. Meanwhile, Plymouth Command occupied a new combined Headquarters, known as the Maritime Headquarters, at Mount Wise. The post of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was merged with that of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1969 to form Naval Home Command. Between 1952 and 1969 the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth double-hatted as Plymouth Sub-Area Channel Command (PLYMCHAN) commander in NATO's Allied Command Channel.
After 1969, Admiralty House and the Maritime Headquarters became the home of the Flag Officer, Plymouth until that post was also disbanded in 1996. At around the same time the nearby RN Dockyard and barracks were reconstituted as HM Naval Base Devonport and placed under the command of a Commodore.
Commanders-in-Chief and Flag Officers
Commanders-in-Chief and Flag Officers have included:
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1761 - 1763 Vice-Admiral Philip DurellJan 1763 - Jun 1763 Vice-Admiral Lord Colville1763 - 1766 Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Pye1766 - 1771 Vice-Admiral Sir George Edgcumbe1771 - 1775 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Spry1776 - 1778 Vice-Admiral John Amherst1778 - 1783 Vice Admiral Sir Molyneux Shuldham1783 - 1786 Vice Admiral Mark Milbanke1786 - 1790 Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Graves1790 - 1792 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton1792 - 1793 Vice-Admiral Phillips Cosby1794 - 1796 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard King1796 - 1799 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Onslow1799 - 1802 Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley1802 - 1803 Vice-Admiral Sir James Dacres1803 - 1804 Vice-Admiral Sir John Colpoys1804 - 1810 Vice-Admiral Sir William Young1810 - 1813 Admiral Sir Robert Calder1813 - 1815 Admiral Sir William Domett1815 - 1817 Admiral Sir John Duckworth1817 - 1821 Admiral Viscount Exmouth1821 - 1824 Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane1824 - 1827 Admiral Sir James Saumarez1827 - 1830 Admiral Lord Northesk1830 - 1833 Admiral Sir Manley Dixon1833 - 1836 Admiral Sir William Hargood1836 - 1839 Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk1839 - 1842 Admiral Sir Graham Moore1842 - 1845 Admiral Sir David Milne1845 - 1848 Admiral Sir John West1848 - 1851 Admiral Sir William Gage1851 - 1854 Admiral Sir John Ommanney1854 - 1857 Admiral Sir William Parker1857 - 1860 Vice-Admiral Sir Barrington ReynoldsJun 1860 - Oct 1860 Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe1860 - 1863 Vice-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart1863 - 1866 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Fremantle1866 - 1869 Admiral Sir William Martin1869 - 1872 Admiral Sir Henry Codrington1872 - 1875 Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Keppel1875 - 1878 Admiral Sir Thomas Symonds1878 - 1880 Admiral Sir Arthur Farquhar1880 - 1881 Admiral Sir Charles Elliot1881 - 1884 Admiral Sir William Stewart1884 - 1887 Admiral Sir Augustus Phillimore1887 - 1888 Admiral Lord John Hay1888 - 1890 Admiral Sir William Dowell1890 - 1893 Admiral The Duke of Edinburgh1893 - 1896 Admiral Sir Algernon Lyons1896 - 1899 Admiral Sir Edmund Fremantle1899 - 1900 Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax1900 - 1902 Vice-Admiral Lord Charles Montagu Douglas Scott1902 - 1908 Vice-Admiral Sir Lewis Beaumont1908 - 1911 Vice-Admiral Sir Wilmot Fawkes1911 - 1913 Vice-Admiral Sir William May1913 - 1916 Vice-Admiral Sir George EgertonMar 1916 - Dec 1916 Vice-Admiral Sir George Warrender1916 - 1918 Admiral Sir Alexander Bethell1918 - 1920 Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Thursby1920 - 1923 Admiral Sir Montague Browning1923 - 1926 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Phillimore1926 - 1929 Vice-Admiral Sir Rudolph Bentinck1929 - 1932 Vice-Admiral Sir Hubert Brand1932 - 1935 Vice-Admiral Sir Eric Fullerton1935 - 1938 Admiral Sir Reginald Drax1938 - 1941 Admiral Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith1941 - 1943 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Forbes1943 - 1945 Vice-Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham1945 - 1947 Admiral Sir Henry Pridham-Wippell1947 - 1950 Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Burnett1950 - 1951 Vice-Admiral Sir Rhoderick McGrigor1951 - 1953 Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Mansergh1953 - 1955 Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Madden1955 - 1958 Vice Admiral Sir Charles Pizey1958 - 1961 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Onslow1961 - 1962 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Madden1962 - 1965 Vice-Admiral Sir Nigel Henderson1965 - 1967 Vice-Admiral Sir Fitzroy Talbot1967 - 1969 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles MillsFlag Officer, Plymouth
Jul 1969 - Sept 1969 Vice-Admiral John Roxburgh1969 - 1970 Vice-Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin1970 - 1973 Vice-Admiral Sir Rae McKaig1973 - 1975 Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Power1975 - 1977 Vice-Admiral Sir Gordon Tait1977 - 1979 Vice-Admiral Sir John Forbes1979 - 1981 Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Berger1981 - 1982 Vice-Admiral Sir Simon Cassels1982 - 1985 Vice-Admiral Sir David Brown1985 - 1987 Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Gerken1987 - 1990 Vice-Admiral Sir John Webster1990 - 1992 Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Grose1992 - 1996 Vice-Admiral Sir Roy Newman
