Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Sir Michael Compton Lockwood Wilkins, (4 January 1933 – 25 April 1994) was a senior

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

officer who served as

Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as the ''de facto'' head of state in Guernsey ...

from 1990 to 1994.

Military career

Wilkins joined the Royal Marines in 1951. He was appointed Commander of

3 Commando Brigade 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen f ...

in 1979, Chief of Staff of the Royal Marines in 1981 (a post he held during the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

and during which he was Acting Commandant General following the attack on Lieutenant General Sir Steuart Pringle), and Commander of Commando Forces in 1982.Royal Navy appointments
He went on to be

Commandant General Royal Marines The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The role is held by a General who is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, with the rank of brigadier. This position is not t ...

in 1984 before retiring in 1987. In retirement he became

and died in office. Wilkins lived at Coombe Hill in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

.Houses
/ref>

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Michael 1933 births 1994 deaths Royal Navy personnel of the Falklands War Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Officers of the Order of the British Empire Royal Marines generals