Eastern Command (United Kingdom)

Updated on Dec 23, 2023

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Active 1793–1972 Branch British Army		Country United Kingdom Type Command

Garrison/HQ Colchester (1866–1905) London (1905–1939) Luton Hoo (1939–1945) Hounslow (1945–1954) Wilton Park (1954–1972)

Eastern Command was a Command of the British Army.

Nineteenth century

Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793. In the first half of the 19th century the command included the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and Hertfordshire. It was based in Colchester.

Disbanded after the Napoleonic Wars, the Eastern District Command was re-created in 1866 and was based at Flagstaff House in Colchester. In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland’ was published, with the ‘Active Army’ divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. 1st Corps was to be formed within Eastern Command, based in Colchester. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands.

Twentieth century

The 1901 Army Estimates introduced by St John Brodrick allowed for six army corps based on six regional commands. As outlined in a paper published in 1903, IV Corps was to be formed in a reconstituted Eastern Command, with HQ at London. Lieutenant General Lord Grenfell was appointed acting General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOCinC) of IV Corps in April 1903.

First World War

Army Order No 324, issued on 21 August 1914, authorised the formation of a 'New Army' of six Divisions, manned by volunteers who had responded to Earl Kitchener's appeal (hence the First New Army was known as 'K1'). Each division was to be under the administration of one of the Home Commands, and Eastern Command formed what became the 12th (Eastern) Division. It was followed by 18th (Eastern) Division of K2 in September 1914. During the First World War, Eastern Command was based at 50 Pall Mall, London.

Second World War

By 1939 its headquarters was located at Horseguards in London. At that time Regular Troops reporting to the Command included 4th Infantry Division. During the Second World War, the Command relocated to Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire. During the war, the 76th Infantry (Reserve) Division was assigned to the command as its training formation.

Post War

After the War the command moved to Hounslow Barracks in Hounslow. When the Territorial Army was reformed in 1947, 54th (East Anglian) was not reconstituted as a field division, but 161st Infantry Brigade was reformed as an independent infantry brigade in Eastern Command. The command moved to Wilton Park in Beaconsfield in 1954. It was merged into HQ UK Land Forces (HQ UKLF) in 1972.

General Officers Commanding-in-Chief

GOCs and GOCinCs have included:
General Officer Commanding Eastern District

1795 – 1800 General Sir William Howe

1801 – 1802 General the Marquess Cornwallis

1802 – 1805 Major General Sir James Craig

1805 – 1806 Major General Sir James Pulteney

1806 – 1814 Lieutenant General Lord Chatham

1815 – 1819 Major General Sir John Byng

1866 – 1869 Major General Thomas Tidy

1869 – 1870 Major General Richard Farren

1870 – 1872 Lieutenant General Freeman Murray

1872 Lieutenant General the Hon. Alexander Hamilton-Gordon

1872 – 1877 Major General Sir Edward Greathed

1877 – 1878 Lieutenant General Sir Richard Kelly

1878 – 1882 Lieutenant General William Pollexfen Radcliffe

1882 Major General the Hon. Sir Henry Clifford

1882 – 1886 Lieutenant General Robert White

1886 – 1889 Major General Sir Evelyn Wood

1889 – 1892 Major General Henry Buchanan

1892 – 1896 Lieutenant General John Glyn

1896 – 1898 Major General Charles Burnett

1898 – 1899 Major General Sir William Gatacre

1899 – 1900 Major General Henry Abadie

1900 – 1903 Major General Sir William Gatacre (also commander 10th Division and 19th Brigade from 1 April 1903)

1903 – 1904 Major General Herbert Plumer

1904 – 1905 Major General Arthur Wynne

10th Division was renamed 6th Division in 1905.

Commander 4th Army Corps

Home District at Horse Guards, Eastern District at Colchester, Thames District at Chatham and Woolwich District were grouped under 4th Army Corps in 1903.

1 April 1903: General the Lord Grenfell

6 June 1904: General the Lord Methuen

4th Army Corps was renamed Eastern Command 1 June 1905.

General Officer Commanding Eastern Command

1905 – 1908 Lieutenant General Lord Methuen

1908 – 1912 Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Paget

1912 – 1914 Lieutenant General Sir James Grierson

1914 – 1915 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Woollcombe

1915 – 1916 Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Rundle

1916 – 1917 Lieutenant General Sir James Wolfe-Murray

1917 – 1918 Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wilson

1918 General Sir William Robertson

1918 – 1919 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Woollcombe

1919 – 1923 General Lord Horne

1923 – 1926 Lieutenant General Sir George Milne

1926 – 1927 Lieutenant General Sir Walter Braithwaite

1927 – 1931 General Sir Robert Whigham

1931 – 1933 General Sir Webb Gillman

1933 – 1936 Lieutenant General Sir Cyril Deverell

1936 – 1938 Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Ironside

1938 – 1941 Lieutenant General Sir Guy Williams

1941 – 1942 Lieutenant General Laurence Carr

April 1942 – August 1942 Lieutenant General Sir Kenneth Anderson

September 1942 – January 1944 Lieutenant General Sir James Gammell

January 1944 – December 1944 Lieutenant General Sir Kenneth Anderson

December 1944 – August 1945 Lieutenant General Sir Alan Cunningham

1945 – 1947 Lieutenant General Sir Oliver Leese

1947 – 1950 General Sir Evelyn Barker

1950 – 1952 General Sir Gerald Templer

1952 – 1953 Lieutenant General Sir George Erskine

1953 – 1954 Lieutenant General Sir Geoffrey Bourne

1954 – 1956 Lieutenant General Sir Francis Festing

1956 – 1959 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Coleman

1959 – 1960 Lieutenant General Sir James Cassels

1960 – 1961 General Sir Gerald Lathbury

1962 – 1965 Lieutenant General Sir Roderick McLeod

1965 – 1966 Lieutenant General Sir George Cole

1966 – 1968 Lieutenant General Sir David Peel Yates

References

Eastern Command (United Kingdom) Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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