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Commander of the Ceylon Defence Force was the title of the head of the Ceylon Defence Force .[ 1] The post was created in 1888, replacing the position of General Officer Commanding, Ceylon , and existed until 1949.
No.
Portrait
Rank
Name
Appointment
Left office
Unit
Decorations
Ceylon Volunteers (1888-1896)
1
Lieutenant colonel
Francis Coningsby Hannam Clarke
20 April 1888
27 August 1893
Royal Artillery
CMG , psc , FRGS , FRCI , CLIV
2
Lieutenant colonel
Henry Byrde
28 August 1893
13 May 1896
57th Regiment of Foot
CLIV
Ceylon Volunteers Force (1896-1913)
3
Colonel
A. F. C. Vincent
13 May 1896
1902
Scottish Rifles
CMG
Major
H. G. Morris
1902
1902
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
3
Colonel
A. F. C. Vincent
1902
14 March 1913
Scottish Rifles
CMG
Lieutenant colonel
Gorden Fraser
14 March 1913
13 May 1913
VD , CLI
3
Colonel
A. F. C. Vincent
13 May 1913
31 May 1913
Scottish Rifles
CMG
Ceylon Defence Force (1913-1946)
4
Brigadier general
R. B. Fell
1 June 1913
6 March 1914
Scottish Rifles
CB
Lieutenant colonel
W. G. B. Dickson
6 March 1914
?
CMR
Honorary Lieutenant colonel
Edward James Hayward
7 October 1914
?
CBE , VD , CAV
4
Brigadier general
R. B. Fell
?
31 December 1919
Scottish Rifles
CB
Lieutenant colonel
Thomas Howard Chapman
1 January 1920
21 July 1920
OBE , VD
5
Brigadier general
F. M. G. Rowley
22 July 1920
8 February 1927
CB , CMG , DSO
6
Colonel
Albion Earnest Andrews
9 February 1927
14 December 1928
Hampshire Regiment
OBE
Lieutenant colonel
G. B. Stevens
14 December 1928
28 April 1929
Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
VD
7
Colonel
Edward Bromfield Ferrers
29 April 1929
3 March 1935
Black Watch
DSO
8
Colonel
Robert Burton Leslie
3 March 1935
12 May 1937
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment
MC
9
Colonel
Gordon Calthrop Thorne
13 May 1937
5 February 1939
Royal Norfolk Regiment
10
Colonel
Reginald Strelley Moresby White
6 February 1939
1 January 1942
Leicestershire Regiment
OBE
11
Colonel
T. G. Watson
1 January 1942
1945
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
12
Colonel
R. A. McGeorge
1945
1946
The Rifle Brigade
Ceylon Defence Force & Ceylon Volunteers Force (1946-1949)
Colonel
Randolph Jewell Francis Mendis
6 April 1946
7 August 1949
OBE , ED , BA
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