List of senior female officers of the British Armed Forces

Last updated

Three senior female officers in 2019: Cdre Eleanor Ablett, AVM Chris Elliot, and Air Cdre Maria Byford RAF and RN Times Top 50 Employer.jpg
Three senior female officers in 2019: Cdre Eleanor Ablett, AVM Chris Elliot, and Air Cdre Maria Byford

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.

Contents

Royal Navy

NameImageRankDate of promotionActive/Retired
Jude Terry
Commodore Jude Terry (2021-05-25).jpg
Rear Admiral17 January 2022 [2] Active
Fleur Marshall Surgeon Rear Admiral21 March 2023 [3] Active
Carolyn Stait Commodore22 June 2004 [4] Retired
Inga Kennedy
Inga Kennedy.jpg
Commodore9 February 2015 [5] Active
Eleanor L. Ablett
RAF and RN Times Top 50 Employer (Ablett cropped).jpg
Commodore28 August 2018 [6] Retired
Melanie S. Robinson
Commodore Melanie Robinson.jpg
Commodore RNR4 February 2020 [7] [8] Active
Alison J. HofmanCommodore17 August 2020 [9] [10] Active
Sharon L. Malkin
Commodore Sharon Malkin (cropped).jpg
Commodore2 June 2021 [11] Active
Joanna L. Adey
Commodores Adey and Robinson (Adey 2 cropped).jpg
Commodore25 July 2023 [12] Active

British Army

NameImageRankDate of promotionActive/Retired
Sharon Nesmith
Lieutenant General Sharon Nesmith (cropped).jpg
Lieutenant General 11 August 2022 [13] Active
Susan Ridge
Susan Ridge.jpg
Major General20 September 2015 [14] Retired [15]
Celia J. Harvey
First UK female reservist general (Celia Harvey cropped).jpg
Major General11 March 2020 [16] Active (reservist)
Anna-Lee Reilly
New PS55 million pound contract for Harris T7 bomb disposal robots (cropped).jpg
Major General29 November 2022 [17] Active
Sarah JohansenMajor General26 June 2023 [18] Active
Patricia PurvesBrigadier30 June 1999 [19] Retired
Nicky Moffat Brigadier30 June 2009 [20] Retired
Fiona H. GardnerBrigadier30 June 2015 [21] Retired [22]
Suzanne AndersonBrigadier31 December 2015 [23] Active
Caroline L. HullBrigadier30 June 2020 [24] Active
Sara L. Sharkey
Brigadier Sara Sharkey.jpg
Brigadier30 June 2017 [25] Active
Ingrid A. RollandBrigadier4 December 2017 [26] Active (Reservist)
Anna Clare LuedickeBrigadier30 June 2017 [27] Active
Vivienne Wendy Buck
MPs talk international interoperability training (cropped).jpg
Brigadier30 June 2019 [28] Retired [29]
Janice A. CookBrigadier30 June 2019 [30] Deceased [31]
Anna-Lee ReillyBrigadier30 June 2019 [32] [33] Active
Lisa C. KeetleyBrigadier31 December 2019 [34] Active
Alison L. CurnowBrigadier30 June 2020 [35] Active
Elizabeth J. Faithfull-Davies
Brigadier Elizabeth Faithull-Davies.jpg
Brigadier30 June 2020 [35] Active
Caroline HullBrigadier30 June 2020 [35] Active
Clare Philips
Colonel Clare Philips sat with two Chelsea Pensioners (Philips cropped).jpg
Brigadier30 June 2021 [36] Active
Lucinda WestermanBrigadier30 June 2021 [36] Active

Royal Air Force

NameImageRankDate of promotionActive/Retired
Sue Gray
AVM Sue Gray (cropped).jpg
Air Marshal29 March 2019 [37] Retired
Clare Walton
RAF medics Op Trenton (Clare Walton cropped 2).jpg
Air Marshal3 July 2023 [38] Active
Elaine West
111111-F-FW394-055 Air Commodore Elaine West, Air Officer Assistant Chief of Staff and Air Officer Commanding Directly Administered Units, Headquarters Air Command speaks during a ceremony (cropped).jpg
Air Vice-Marshal1 August 2013 [39] Active (reservist)
Christina Elliot
RAF and RN Times Top 50 Employer (Chris Elliot cropped).jpg
Air Vice-Marshal1 July 2016 [40] Retired
Alison Mardell
Alison Mardell (cropped).jpg
Air Vice-Marshal29 April 2017 [41] Retired
Tamara Jennings
Women of the Year RAF2 (Tamara Jennings cropped).jpg
Air Vice-Marshal29 September 2018 [42] [43] Active
Maria Byford
AVM Maria Byford.jpg
Air Vice-Marshal24 February 2020 [44] [45] Retired
Suraya A. Marshall
Air Commodore Suraya Marshall (cropped).jpg
Air Vice-Marshal6 October 2021 [46] [47] Active
Barbara Cooper
AirCmdrCooper (cropped).JPG
Air Commodore1 January 2008 [48] Retired
Jayne Millington Air Commodore2012Deceased [49]
Dawn McCafferty
Air Marshall Julian Young with Dawn McCafferty and Carol Vorderman (McCafferty cropped).jpg
Air Commodore17 August 2012 [50] Retired [51]
Suzanne N. PerkinsAir Commodore21 August 2017 [52] [53] Active
Catherine C. CotonAir Commodore4 September 2017 [54] Retired
Wendy Rothery
Women of the Year RAF (Wendy Rothery cropped).jpg
Air Commodore2 April 2018 [55] [56] Active

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References

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  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.
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  31. ↑ "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.
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  36. 1 2 "No. 63407". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 2021. p. 11917.
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  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.
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