Western District was a command of the British Army. Admirality House, Devonport

History

Early formation

Great Britain was divided into military districts on the outbreak of war with France in 1793. The role of Western District Commander, which was doubled hatted with that of Lieutenant-Governor of Plymouth, was based at Government House, Mount Wise in Devonport. In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces in Great Britain and Ireland’ was published, with the ‘Active Army’ divided into eight army corps based on the District Commands. This scheme disappeared in 1881, when the districts were retitled ‘District Commands. By the 1890s the command included the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset and all of South Wales. In 1901 Western District was grouped with South East District at Dover and Southern District at Portsmouth under Second Army Corps at Salisbury. 2nd Army Corps was renamed Southern Command in 1905.

Reformation

The district was formed from

48th (South Midland) Division The 48th (South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army. Part of the Territorial Force (TF) and raised in 1908, the division was originally called the South Midland Division, and was redesignated as the 48th (South Midland ...

as part of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967. It had its headquarters at

Copthorne Barracks Copthorne Barracks was a British Army military installation in Copthorne, a suburb of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England. History The barracks were built between 1877 and 1881 and initially included a hospital, married quarters, stabling and st ...

, and was placed under the command of HQ UK Land Forces in 1972. In the early 1980s West Midlands District became "Western District". In 1991, the first of the minor districts to be amalgamated were North West District, the former West Midlands District (by then Western District) and Wales, to form a new Wales and Western District. It was disbanded again on the formation of HQ Land Command in 1995.

General Officers Commanding

General officers Commanding included:
Western District *1793 – 1803 Colonel John Campbell *1803 – 1812 Major-General Richard England *1812 – 1819 Major-General

Gore Browne General Gore Browne (c. 1764 – 12 January 1843) was a British Army officer who became Lieutenant-Governor of Plymouth. Military career Browne was commissioned as an ensign in the 35th Regiment of Foot on 5 July 1780. He became commanding offi ...

*1819 – 1823 Major-General Sir Denis Pack *1823 – 1833 Major-General Sir John Cameron *1835 – 1840 Major-General Sir Willoughby Cotton *1840 – 1842 Major-General Robert Ellice *1842 – 1852 Major-General Sir Henry Murray *1853 – 1854 Major-General Sir Harry Smith *1855 – 1859 Major-General

George Eden George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, (25 August 1784 – 1 January 1849) was an English Whig politician and colonial administrator. He was thrice First Lord of the Admiralty and also served as Governor-General of India between 1836 and 1842 ...

*1859 – 1865 Major-General

William Hutchinson William, Willie, Willy, Billy or Bill Hutchinson may refer to: Politics and law * Asa Hutchinson (born 1950), full name William Asa Hutchinson, 46th governor of Arkansas * William Hutchinson (Rhode Island judge) (1586–1641), merchant, judge, ...

*1865 – 1866 Lieutenant-General

Viscount Templetown Viscount Templetown, in the County of Antrim, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 13 February 1806 for John Upton, 2nd Baron Templetown, Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds. He was the son of Clotworthy Upton, who ser ...

*1866 – 1869 Lieutenant-General Sir

Augustus Spencer General The Hon. Sir Augustus Almeric Spencer (25 March 1807 – 28 August 1893) was a British Army officer and a member of the Spencer family. Military career Born the third son of Francis Spencer, 1st Baron Churchill, Spencer was commissioned ...

*1869 – 1874 Major-General Sir Charles Staveley *1874 – 1877 Lieutenant-General Henry Smyth *1877 – 1880 Lieutenant-General the Hon.

Leicester Smyth Lieutenant General Hon. Sir Leicester Smyth (born Curzon-Howe; 25 October 1829 – 27 January 1891) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Gibraltar. Early life and education Smyth was the seven ...

*1880 – 1883 Lieutenant-General Thomas Pakenham *1883 – 1885 Major-General James Sayer *1885 – 1889 Major-General Thomas Lyons *1889 – 1990 Major-General Sir Howard Elphinstone *1890 – 1895 General Sir Richard Harrison *1895 – 1899 Lieutenant-General Sir

Frederick Forestier-Walker General Sir Frederick William Edward Forestier-Walker, (17 April 1844 – 30 August 1910) was a British senior military officer and Governor of Gibraltar. Military career Forestier-Walker was the eldest son of General Sir Edward Forestier-Walke ...

*1899 – 1905 Lieutenant-General Sir William Butler
West Midlands District *1967–1968 Major-General

Peter Gillett Major-General Sir Peter Bernard Gillett, (8 December 1913 – 4 July 1989) was a British Army officer. Military career Gillett was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 1 February 1934. After serving in the rank of captain in the Second Wor ...

*1968–1970 Major-General

Graham Mills Major-General William Graham Stead Mills, (23 June 1917 – 1 January 1992) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at Merchiston Castle School, Mills was commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 10 October 1936. He served ...

*1970–1973 Major-General

James Majury Major-General James Herbert Samuel Majury (26 June 1921 – 4 September 1996) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Trinity College Dublin, Majury received a wartime commission into ...

*1973–1976 Major-General

Robert Britten Major-General Robert Wallace Tudor Britten (28 February 1922 – 11 July 1995) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at Wellington College and Trinity College, Cambridge, Britten was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1941 ...

*1976–1979 Major-General

Peter Downward Major-General Sir Peter Aldcroft Downward (10 April 1924 – 18 October 2014) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at King William's College, Downward was commissioned into the South Lancashire Regiment in 1943 and served in ...

Western District *1979–1982 Major-General

Anthony Ward-Booth Major-General John Anthony Ward-Booth (18 July 1927 – 25 August 2002) was a British Army officer. Military career Educated at Worksop College, Ward-Booth was commissioned into the Worcestershire Regiment in 1946. He became commanding of ...

*1982–1983 Major-General

Richard Keightley Major-General Richard Charles Keightley CB CStJ (born 2 July 1933) is a former British Army officer who became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Military career Born the son of General Sir Charles Keightley and educated at Ma ...

*1983–1986 Major-General Brendan McGuinness *1986–1989 Major-General

Robert Ward Robert Ward may refer to: Politicians *Robert Ward (MP for City of York) * Robert Ward (1754–1831), Irish MP for Wicklow Borough, Killyleagh and Bangor * Robert Ward (American politician) (1952–2021), American lawyer and politician * Robert War ...

*1989–1991 Major-General Peter Bonnet Wales and Western District *1991–1994 Major-General Michael Regan *1994–1995 Major-General Ian Freer

References

{{reflist, 30em Districts of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1793 Military units and formations disestablished in 1905 Military units and formations established in 1972 Military units and formations disestablished in 1991