List of senior female officers of the British Armed Forces

The following is a list of women who have reached general, flag or air officer rank in the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, not including those given honorary ranks. An air commodore is considered an air officer rank,[1] and although the equivalent ranks of brigadier or commodore are not considered general or flag rank in their respective services, those who have reached these ranks and above are included in this list.

Three senior female officers in 2019: Cdre Eleanor Ablett, AVM Chris Elliot, and Air Cdre Maria Byford

Royal Navy

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Name Image Rank Date of promotion Active/Retired
Jude Terry
 
Rear Admiral 17 January 2022[2] Active
Fleur Marshall Surgeon Rear Admiral 21 March 2023[3] Active
Carolyn Stait Commodore 22 June 2004[4] Retired
Inga Kennedy
 
Commodore 9 February 2015[5] Active
Eleanor L. Ablett
 
Commodore 28 August 2018[6] Retired
Melanie S. Robinson
 
Commodore RNR 4 February 2020[7][8] Retired
Alison J. Hofman Commodore 17 August 2020[9][10] Active
Sharon L. Malkin
 
Commodore 2 June 2021[11] Active
Joanna L. Adey
 
Commodore 25 July 2023[12] Active

British Army

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Name Image Rank Date of promotion Active/Retired
Sharon Nesmith
 
General 10 June 2024[13] Active
Susan Ridge
 
Major General 20 September 2015[14] Retired[15]
Celia J. Harvey
 
Major General 11 March 2020[16] Active (reservist)
Anna-Lee Reilly
 
Major General 29 November 2022[17] Active
Sarah Johansen Major General 26 June 2023[18] Active
Lisa C. Keetley Major General 2 September 2024[19] Active
Patricia Purves Brigadier 30 June 1999[20] Retired
Nicky Moffat Brigadier 30 June 2009[21] Retired
Fiona H. Gardner Brigadier 30 June 2015[22] Retired[23]
Suzanne Anderson Brigadier 31 December 2015[24] Active
Caroline L. Hull Brigadier 30 June 2020[25] Active
Sara L. Sharkey
 
Brigadier 30 June 2017[26] Active
Ingrid A. Rolland Brigadier 4 December 2017[27] Active (Reservist)
Anna Clare Luedicke Brigadier 30 June 2017[28] Active
Vivienne Wendy Buck
 
Brigadier 30 June 2019[29] Retired[30]
Janice A. Cook Brigadier 30 June 2019[31] Deceased[32]
Anna-Lee Reilly Brigadier 30 June 2019[33][34] Active
Alison L. Curnow Brigadier 30 June 2020[35] Active
Elizabeth J. Faithfull-Davies
 
Brigadier 30 June 2020[35] Active
Caroline Hull Brigadier 30 June 2020[35] Active
Clare Philips
 
Brigadier 30 June 2021[36] Active
Lucinda Westerman Brigadier 30 June 2021[36] Active

Royal Air Force

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Name Image Rank Date of promotion Active/Retired
Sue Gray
 
Air Marshal 29 March 2019[37] Retired
Clare Walton
 
Air Marshal 3 July 2023[38] Active
Elaine West
 
Air Vice-Marshal 1 August 2013[39] Active (reservist)
Christina Elliot
 
Air Vice-Marshal 1 July 2016[40] Retired
Alison Mardell
 
Air Vice-Marshal 29 April 2017[41] Retired
Tamara Jennings
 
Air Vice-Marshal 29 September 2018[42][43] Active
Maria Byford
 
Air Vice-Marshal 24 February 2020[44][45] Retired
Suraya A. Marshall
 
Air Vice-Marshal 6 October 2021[46][47] Active
Barbara Cooper
 
Air Commodore 1 January 2008[48] Retired
Jayne Millington Air Commodore 2012 Deceased[49]
Dawn McCafferty
 
Air Commodore 17 August 2012[50] Retired[51]
Suzanne N. Perkins Air Commodore 21 August 2017[52][53] Active
Catherine C. Coton Air Commodore 4 September 2017[54] Retired
Wendy Rothery
 
Air Commodore 2 April 2018[55][56] Active

References

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  1. ^ The Chambers Dictionary. Allied Publishers. 2006. p. 32. ISBN 9788186062258.
  2. ^ BBC Jersey, BBC Jersey (May 22, 2021). "Royal Navy appoints Jersey woman as first female admiral". BBC News. BBC Jersey. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  3. ^ "Royal Navy appoints second female Rear Admiral". Forces Network. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  4. ^ "No. 57333". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 June 2004. p. 7745.
  5. ^ "No. 61144". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 2015. p. 2726.
  6. ^ "No. 62433". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 October 2018. p. 18040.
  7. ^ "NEW COMMANDER OF MARITIME RESERVES ASSUMES COMMAND". Royal Navy. Portsmouth. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  8. ^ "No. 62979". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 April 2020. p. 7762.
  9. ^ @QARNNS (28 May 2020). "Congratulations to Captain @AlisonHofman1 on her selection for promotion to Commodore 👏🏻Anchor BZ Ma'am!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  10. ^ "No. 63191". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 December 2020. p. 20334.
  11. ^ "No. 63426". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 July 2021. p. 13220.
  12. ^ "No. 64136". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 August 2023. p. 15766.
  13. ^ "No. 64459". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 July 2024. p. 13738.
  14. ^ "No. 61372". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 October 2015. p. 18566.
  15. ^ "No. 62803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 2019. p. 18914.
  16. ^ "No. 62947". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 2020. p. 5503.
  17. ^ "No. 63932". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 January 2023. p. 292.
  18. ^ "No. 64155". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 August 2023. p. 17190.
  19. ^ "No. 64509". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 September 2024. p. 17454.
  20. ^ "No. 55543". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1999. p. 7301.
  21. ^ "No. 59113". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 June 2009. p. 11154.
  22. ^ "No. 61280". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 2015. p. 11900.
  23. ^ "No. 62803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 2019. p. 18914.
  24. ^ "No. 61462". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 January 2016. p. 107.
  25. ^ "No. 63091". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 August 2020. p. 14343.
  26. ^ "No. 61983". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 2017. p. 12673.
  27. ^ "No. 62180". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 January 2018. p. 1170.
  28. ^ "No. 62194". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 February 2018. p. 2158.
  29. ^ "No. 62700". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 2019. p. 11670.
  30. ^ "No. 64235". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 November 2023. p. 23414.
  31. ^ "No. 62700". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 2019. p. 11670.
  32. ^ "Announcements". thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk. The Westmorland Gazette. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020. POOLE Janice Ann (nee Cook) The family are heartbroken to announce the peaceful passing of Brigadier Jan Cook on 10th January 2020, aged 52 years.
  33. ^ "No. 62700". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 July 2019. p. 11670.
  34. ^ "Defence Equipment & Support organisation chart: July 2019" (PDF). gov.uk. Defence Equipment & Support. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  35. ^ a b c "No. 63091". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 August 2020. p. 14343.
  36. ^ a b "No. 63407". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 2021. p. 11917.
  37. ^ "No. 62617". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 April 2019. p. 6979.
  38. ^ "No. 64150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 August 2023. p. 16787.
  39. ^ "No. 60643". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 October 2013. p. 19286.
  40. ^ "Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary". Royal Air Force. High Wycombe. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  41. ^ "No. 61923". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 May 2017. p. 9504.
  42. ^ "RAF Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. High Wycombe. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  43. ^ "No. 62433". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 October 2018. p. 18046.
  44. ^ "RAF Senior Appointments 10 February 2020". Royal Air Force. High Wycombe. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  45. ^ "No. 62972". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 April 2020. p. 7370.
  46. ^ "RAF appoints first woman to command an 'Operational' Air Group". Royal Air Force. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  47. ^ "RAF Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. High Wycombe. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  48. ^ "Officer Promotions - 1 Jan 2008". Royal Air Force. 1 January 2008. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  49. ^ "Air Cdre Jayne Millington FRAeS". aerosociety.com. aerosociety. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020. Obituary - Air Cdre Jayne Millington FRAeS
  50. ^ "Dawn is New Commandant".
  51. ^ "NEW COMMANDANT FOR RAF AIR CADETS IS ANNOUNCED". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020. The Royal Air Force has appointed Air Commodore Tony Keeling as the next Commandant of the RAF Air Cadets. He will take post on Sept 21st Sept 2020. The current Comdt, Air Commodore McCafferty retires on July 15th. Chief of Staff, Group Capt John Lawlor will be Acting Comdt for the intervening period.
  52. ^ "RAF Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. High Wycombe. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  53. ^ "No. 62047". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 September 2017. p. 17033.
  54. ^ "No. 62076". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2017. p. 18755.
  55. ^ "RAF Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. High Wycombe. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  56. ^ "No. 62252". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 2018. p. 6373.