Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy

Institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy

Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and Chief of the Naval Staff

Incumbent
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee

since 30 May 2022

Royal Canadian Navy
Type| Commissioned officer
Status| Currently constituted
Abbreviation| Comd RCN
Reports to| Chief of the Defence Staff
Seat| Naval Staff HQ, NDHQ, Ottawa
Term length| At His Majesty's pleasure
Precursor| Chief of the Maritime Staff
First holder| Admiral Sir Charles Kingsmill
Deputy| Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy/Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff
Website| Official website

Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (French: Commandant de la Marine royale canadienne) is the title of the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy. This appointment also includes the title of Chief of the Naval Staff and is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario. This individual reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff, who then responds to the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.

## History of the position

[edit]

The appointment was entitled Director of the Naval Service from 1910 to 1928 and then Chief of the Naval Staff from 1928 to 1964. In August 1964 the position of Chief of the Naval Staff was abolished. Responsibility for naval matters was split between the newly established Defence Staff in Ottawa and operational headquarters in Halifax (for Flag Officer Atlantic Coast) and Esquimalt (for Flag Officer Pacific Coast).[1] The appointment was entitled Commander of Maritime Command from 1966 to 1997 and Chief of the Maritime Staff from 1997 to 2011. In 2011 Maritime Command was renamed the Royal Canadian Navy at which time the appointment was renamed to its present incarnation.[2][3]

## Insignia and flag

[edit]

* Vice-Admiral's insignia

* Vice-Admiral's flag

## Appointees

[edit]

The following table lists all those who have held the post of Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:[4]

No. | Portrait  | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office

|
|
|
|
|

Director of the Naval Service

| Kingsmill, CharlesAdmiral
Sir C.E. Kingsmill
(1855–1935)| 5 May 1910| 31 December 1920| 10 years, 7 months

| Hose, W.Commodore
W. Hose
(1875–1965)| 1 January 1921| 6 March 1928| 7 years, 2 months
Chief of the Naval Staff

| Hose, W.Rear Admiral
W. Hose
(1875–1965)| 7 March 1928| 31 December 1933| 5 years, 9 months

| Hose, W.Captain
P.W. Nelles
(1892–1951)
Acting| 1 January 1934| 1 July 1934| 6 months

| Hose, W.Vice Admiral
P.W. Nelles
(1892–1951)| 1 July 1934| 15 January 1944| 9 years, 6 months

| Jones, GeorgeVice Admiral
G.C. Jones
(1895–1946)| 15 January 1944| 8 February 1946 †| 2 years

| Reid, H.Vice Admiral
H.E. Reid
(1897–1962)| 28 February 1946| 1 September 1947| 1 year, 6 months

| Grant, H.Vice Admiral
H.T.W. Grant
(1899–1965)| 1 September 1947| 1 December 1951| 4 years, 3 months

| Mainguy, E.Vice Admiral
E.R. Mainguy
(1901–1979)| 1 December 1951| 16 January 1956| 4 years, 1 month

| DeWolf, H.Vice Admiral
H.G. DeWolf
(1903–2000)| 16 January 1956| 1 August 1960| 4 years, 6 months

| DeWolf, H.Vice Admiral
H.S. Rayner
(1911–1976)| 1 August 1960| 1 August 1964| 4 years
Principal Naval Adviser

| Dyer, K.L.Vice Admiral
K.L. Dyer
(1915–2000)
[a]| 1 August 1964| 16 July 1966| 1 year, 11 months

| Hennessy, R.L.Vice Admiral
R.L. Hennessy
(1918–2014)| 16 July 1966| 15 September 1968| 2 years, 1 month
Commander of Maritime Command

| Landymore, W.M.Rear Admiral
W.M. Landymore
(1916–2008)
[b]| 1 January 1966| 19 July 1966| 6 months

| O'Brien, J.C.Vice Admiral
J.C. O'Brien
(1918–1996)
[c]| 19 July 1966| 6 July 1970| 3 years, 11 months

| Porter, H.A.Vice Admiral
H.A. Porter
(1922–2016)| 6 July 1970| 18 October 1971| 1 year, 3 months

| Timbrell, R.W.Rear Admiral
R.W. Timbrell
(1920–2006)| 18 October 1971| 21 August 1973| 1 year, 10 months

| Boyle, DouglasVice Admiral
D.S. Boyle
(1923–2001)| 21 August 1973| 14 June 1977| 3 years, 9 months

| Collier, AndrewVice Admiral
A.L. Collier
(1924–1987)| 15 June 1977| 30 June 1979| 2 years

| Allan, JohnVice Admiral
J. Allan
(1928–2014)| 1 July 1979| 5 August 1980| 1 year, 1 month

| Fulton, AndrewVice Admiral
J.A. Fulton
(1927–2021)| 6 August 1980| 29 July 1983| 2 years, 11 months

| Wood, JamesVice Admiral
J.C. Wood
(born 1934)| 29 July 1983| 3 July 1987| 3 years, 11 months
10|

| Thomas, CharlesVice Admiral
C.M.W. Thomas
(born 1936)| 3 July 1987| 1 August 1989| 2 years
11|

| George, RobertVice Admiral
R.E. George
(born 1940)| 1 August 1989| 12 July 1991| 1 year, 11 months
12|

| Anderson, JohnVice Admiral
J.R. Anderson
(born 1941)| 12 July 1991| 14 July 1992| 1 year
13|

| Cairns, PeterVice Admiral
P.W. Cairns
(1938–2023)| 14 July 1992| 28 July 1994| 2 years
14|

| Murray, LarryVice Admiral
L.E. Murray
(born 1947)| 28 July 1994| 27 June 1995| 10 months
15|

| Mason, LynnVice Admiral
L.G. Mason
(born 1942)| 27 June 1995| 9 January 1997| 1 year, 6 months
Chief of the Maritime Staff

| Garnett, G.Vice Admiral
G.L. Garnett
(born 1944)| 9 January 1997| 24 September 1997| 8 months

| Maddison, G.Vice Admiral
G.R. Maddison
(born 1949)| 24 September 1997| 21 June 2001| 3 years, 8 months

| Buck, R.Vice Admiral
R.D. Buck| 21 June 2001| 25 August 2004| 3 years, 2 months

| MacLean, M.Vice Admiral
M.B. MacLean| 25 August 2004| 17 January 2006| 1 year, 4 months

| Robertson, D.Vice Admiral
D.W. Robertson| 17 January 2006| 22 June 2009| 3 years, 5 months

| McFadden, P.Vice Admiral
P.D. McFadden
(born 1957)| 22 June 2009| 22 July 2011| 2 years, 1 month
Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy

| Maddison, P.Vice Admiral
P.A. Maddison| 22 July 2011| 20 June 2013| 1 year, 10 months

| Norman, M.Vice Admiral
M.A.G. Norman
(born 1964)| 20 June 2013| 23 June 2016| 3 years

| Lloyd, M.Vice Admiral
M.F.R. Lloyd
(born 1963)| 23 June 2016| 12 June 2019| 2 years, 11 months

| McDonald A.G.Vice Admiral
A.G. McDonald
(born 1967)| 12 June 2019| 12 January 2021| 1 year, 7 months

| Baines, C.A.Vice Admiral
C.A. Baines
(born c. 1960s)| 12 January 2021| 30 May 2022| 1 year, 4 months

| Angus TopsheeVice Admiral
A. Topshee
(born 1971)| 30 May 2022| Incumbent| 3 years, 2 months

## See also

[edit]

* Chief of the Defence Staff, the second most senior member of the Canadian Armed Forces after the Commander-in-Chief
* Commander of the Canadian Army, the institutional head of the Canadian Army
* Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Air Force

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The Royal Canadian Navy had no official head between August 1964, when the position of Chief of the Naval Staff was abolished, and January 1966, when the position of Commander of Maritime Command was established. In February 1968 the Royal Canadian Navy ceased to exist after it was unified with the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force to form the Canadian Forces.
2. ^ In January 1966 he was appointed as the first Commander Maritime Command, in which position he served until he was encouraged to take an early retirement in July 1966, after a disagreement with the Minister of National Defence over the continuation of the traditional naval identity.
3. ^ In the rank of Rear Admiral between 1966–1968 and Vice-Admiral between 1968–1970.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Whitby, et al., eds. "The Admirals", p. 357. Dundurn Press, 2006.
2. ^ Canadian Navy, Air Force 'Royal' Again With Official Name Change Huffington Post, 15 August 2011
3. ^ DSA Vice-Admiral Maddison Archived June 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ "List of Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy". Canadian Government. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Royal Canadian Navy

Components|

* Maritime Forces Atlantic
* Maritime Forces Pacific
* Naval Reserve

Bases|

* CFB Esquimalt
* CFB Halifax
* CFS St. John's
* Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges
* NRS Aldergrove
* NRS Newport Corner
* NRS Mill Cove

Ships|

| Information|

* Ships
* Current fleet
* Historic fleet
* His Majesty's Canadian Ship

|

Halifax-class frigates|

* HMCS Halifax (FFH 330)
* HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331)
* HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332)
* HMCS Toronto (FFH 333)
* HMCS Regina (FFH 334)
* HMCS Calgary (FFH 335)
* HMCS Montréal (FFH 336)
* HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337)
* HMCS Winnipeg (FFH 338)
* HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339)
* HMCS St. John's (FFH 340)
* HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341)

Victoria-class submarines|

* HMCS Victoria (SSK 876)
* HMCS Windsor (SSK 877)
* HMCS Corner Brook (SSK 878)
* HMCS Chicoutimi (SSK 879)

Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel|

* HMCS Harry DeWolf
* HMCS Margaret Brooke
* HMCS Max Bernays
* HMCS William Hall
* HMCS Frédérick Rolette
* HMCS Robert Hampton Gray

Kingston-class coastal defence vessels|

* HMCS Kingston (MM 700)
* HMCS Glace Bay (MM 701)
* HMCS Nanaimo (MM 702)
* HMCS Edmonton (MM 703)
* HMCS Shawinigan (MM 704)
* HMCS Whitehorse (MM 705)
* HMCS Yellowknife (MM 706)
* HMCS Goose Bay (MM 707)
* HMCS Moncton (MM 708)
* HMCS Saskatoon (MM 709)
* HMCS Brandon (MM 710)
* HMCS Summerside (MM 711)

Orca-class patrol vessels|

* CFAV Orca (PCT 55)
* CFAV Raven (PCT 56)
* CFAV Caribou (PCT 57)
* CFAV Renard (PCT 58)
* CFAV Wolf (PCT 59)
* CFAV Grizzly (PCT 60)
* CFAV Cougar (PCT 61)
* CFAV Moose (PCT 62)

Naval Reserve Divisions|

* HMCS Brunswicker
* HMCS Cabot
* HMCS Carleton
* HMCS Cataraqui
* HMCS Champlain
* HMCS Chippawa
* HMCS d'Iberville
* HMCS Discovery
* HMCS Donnacona
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* HMCS Hunter
* HMCS Jolliet
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* HMCS Prevost
* HMCS Queen
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* HMCS Radisson
* HMCS Scotian
* HMCS Star
* HMCS Tecumseh
* HMCS Unicorn
* HMCS York

Project Resolve|

MV Asterix

Future procurement|

* River-class destroyers
* Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel

Aircraft (RCAF)|

* List of aircraft of the Royal Canadian Navy
* CP-140 Aurora
* CP-140A Arcturus
* CH-148 Cyclone

History|

* History of the Royal Canadian Navy
* Military History of Canada

Units|

* Naval Security Team
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Leadership|

* Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
* Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

* Category
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Canadian Armed Forces

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* Royal Canadian Navy
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Leadership|

* Commander-in-Chief
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Chiefs of the navy by country

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Africa|

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Former|

* Biafra
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Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda
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Former|

* Confederate States of America

Asia|

* Abkhazia
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* Tajikistan
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Former|

* Democratic Kampuchea
* Imperial Japan
* Mengjiang
* Manchukuo
* South Vietnam

Europe|

* Albania
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Former|

* Austria–Hungary
* Independent State of Croatia
* Czechoslovakia
* Prussia
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* Ottoman Empire
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Oceania|

* Australia
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