Commander-in-Chief, Levant

The Commander-in-Chief, Levant was a senior administrative shore commander of the Royal Navy whose post was established in February 1943. The British Chiefs of Staff Committee ordered at that time that the Mediterranean Fleet was to be divided into two commands; one responsible for naval operations involving ships, and the other administrative and support, responsible for shore establishments. His subordinate establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Levant Command or Levant Station, In December 1943 the title was changed to Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean. In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified into a single command with FOLEM merging back into Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet.

In August 1946 the command's name was changed once again to Flag Officer, Middle East as part of a unified (air, army, navy) British Middle East Command (MEC) at Aden. In 1958 the East Indies Station was abolished in 1958 and its remaining units were transferred to MEC at Aden. In 1959 the former east indies Persian Gulf and Red Sea divisions were renamed the Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Station until 1962 when the commands name was changed back to its previous name. In October 1967, MEC in Aden was abolished, and the remaining naval forces 'East of Suez' were transferred to the Far East Fleet.

History
In 1940, responsibility for the Red Seas area of operations was to be transferred from the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies to the Mediterranean Fleet and did not revert until 1942. Previously responsibility for shore-based area commands in the Mediterranean and Middle East theatre lay with the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet. Following a meeting in London, the Chiefs of Staff Committee signaled on 2 February 1943 to Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham Naval Command, in the Mediterranean.

"1). The Mediterranean will be divided into two commands:(a) the area to the west line A to B to be the Mediterranean command. (b) the area to the East of the above line to be the Levant command which will include the Red Sea. 2). For the present the line A to B will be the line running from the Tunisian/Tripolitanian border to a position in Latitude 35 degrees North, Longitude 60 degrees East, thence to Cape Spartivento (Italy)." Between 1943 and 1945 its subordinate shore commands were Tunisia (1943); North Africa, (1943-1944), Sicily (July–September 1943); Taranto September 1943- May 1945; FO West Italy September 1943.43-October 1944; Northern Mediterranean October 1944; Western Mediterranean (January 1943- January 1944 & July 1944 -1945). Gibraltar Dockyard and Malta Dockyard continued as major bases in support of the new organisation. In December 1943 the command was renamed Levant and Eastern Mediterranean. Post World War Two further re-organization of this command continued. In August 1946 the command became a maritime component of unified the tri-services British Middle East Command with the naval element administered by the Flag Officer, Middle East until 1959.

In 1958 the post of Commander-in-Chief, East Indies was abolished, and his remaining naval forces were reassigned to the joint services Middle East Command in Aden. In 1959, the naval forces of the Persian Gulf Division and Red Sea Division, previously administered by the East Indies command were merged to form the Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Station. In 1962 that station was re-titled back to Middle East and it existed until 1967. From that time, following the withdraw of all British Forces in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, the command was abolished.

Commander-in-Chief, Levant
Post holders included:

Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean
Note:From January 1944 the post holder reported to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet

Flag Officer, Middle East
Post holders included:

Flag Officer, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf
Post holders included:

Flag Officer, Middle East
Post holders included: