The title was passed onto the Governor General of British North America from 1859 to 1875.

British military forces officially left Canada in 1906, the last postings being at Halifax.

Commanders-in-Chief, North America 1755-1859

1755 Major-General Edward Braddock

1755 Major-General William Shirley

1756 General The Right Honourable John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun

1756 General James Abercrombie (general) of Glasshaugh

1758 Field Marshal Sir Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, KB

1763 General Honourable Thomas Gage

1773 Post vacant during the absence of General Gage

1775 General Honourable Thomas Gage [reappointed]

1775 General Sir William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB

1778 General Sir Henry Clinton, KB (senior)

1782 General Right Honourable Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB

1783 General John Campbell (of Strachur)

1787 Vacant until the next appointment in 1799 1799 Field Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, KG, PC, KP, GCB, GCH

1800 Vacant until 1811

1811 Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost, Bt. [Gov. Lower Canada, 1811-15]

1838 Field Marhsal Sir John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, GCB, GCMG, GCH

1839 Vacant until 1839

1846 General Charles Murray Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart, GCB (Lord Greenock)

1849 Field Marshal Sir William Rowan, GCB

1855 Vacant until 1859

1859 General Sir William Fenwick Williams, Pasha 1st Bt., GCB

General Officer Commanding the Forces Canada

After 1875, the commander was replaced by the General Officer Commanding the Forces Canada and remained so until 1902:

• 1875 Gen. Sir Edward Selby Smith, KCMG
• 1880 Lt-Gen. Richard Amherst Luard, CB
• 1884 Lt-Gen. Sir Frederick Dobson Midleton, KCMG, CB
• 1890 Maj-Gen. The Rt. Hon. Ivor John Caradoc (Herbert), 1st Baron Treowen, CB, CMG, KStJ
• 1895 Maj-Gen. Sir William Julius Gascoigne Gascoigne, KCMG
• 1898 Lt-Gen. Sir Edward Thomas Henry Hutton, KCB, KCMG
• 1900 Maj-Gen. Richard Hebden O'Grady Haly
• 1902 Lt-Gen. The Rt. Hon. Douglas MacKinnon (Baillie Hamilton), 12th Earl of Dundonald, KCB, KCVO

Chief of General Staff Canada

After 1904, a Chief of the General Staff Canada was established to replace British Forces with a Canadian Army commander:

• 1904 Lt-Gen. Sir Percy Henry Noel Lake, KCB, KCMG
• 1908 Gen. Sir William Dillon Otter, KCB, CVO, VD
• 1910 Maj-Gen. Sir Colin John Mackenzie, KCB
• 1913 Lt-Gen. Sir Willoughby Garnons Gwatkin, KCMG, CB
• 1923 Maj-Gen. Sir James Howden MacBrien, KCB, CMG, DSO, CStJ
• 1927 Maj-Gen. Herbert Cyril Thacker, CB, CMG, DSO
• 1929 Gen. The Hon. Andrew George Litta McNaughton, PC, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD
• 1935 Lt-Gen. Ernest Charles Ashton, CB, CMG, VD
• 1938 Maj-Gen. Thomas Victor Anderson, DSO, CD
• 1940 Gen. Henry Duncan Graham Crerar, CH, CB, DSO, KStJ, CD
• 1941 Lt-Gen. Kenneth Stuart, CB, DSO, MC
• 1943 Lt-Gen. John Carl Murchie, CB, CBE, CD
• 1944 Vacant?
• 1945 Gen. Charles Foulkes, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD
• 1951 Gen. Guy Granville Simonds, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD
• 1955 Lt-Gen. Howard Douglas Graham, OC, CVO, CBE, DSO, ED, CD
• 1958 Lt-Gen. Samuel Findlay Clark, CBE, CD
• 1961 Lt-Gen. Geoffrey Walsh CBE , DSO , CD

After 1961, the Canadian Army was under the command of the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff (Canada).

In 1968, all service branches were unified into the Canadian Forces, under the command of the Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada). The Canadian Monarch is the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, though since 1904 that role has been carried out by the Governor General of Canada on the sovereign's behalf.

References

• Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and the Commonwealth: http://www.regiments.org/biography/defchiefs/caCinC.htm
• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online