Archibald George Forman CBE (1910-1967) was a British naval officer who became the first Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy.[1][2]

A. G. Forman
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Ghana
Service / branchRoyal Navy
Ghana Navy
RankCommodore
CommandsChief of Naval Staff

Ghana Navy service

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Forman was born in Brentford on 20 June 1910.[3][4] At age 17, he was an acting sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy. In 1931, he became a sub-lieutenant and promoted as a lieutenant two years after (1933). In 1941, he became Lieutenant Commander and commanded HMS Airdale[5] and HMS Lookout (G32). He was mentioned in dispatches in 1942, and became a Commander at the end of 1943, where he commanded HMS Garth (L20). In 1950, he was made Commodore. Retiring from active Navy service in July 1959,[6] he was seconded to the newly created Ghana Navy. Kwame Nkrumah, then the Ghana president, granted him a presidential commission as a Ghana naval officer with the rank of Commodore and appointed him Chief of Naval Staff.[7] This was after the navy had been established in 1959.[8]

After Nkrumah assumed the title of Supreme Commander in September, he replaced Commodore Forman with Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Hansen.[9] As Captain A. G. Forman he received a CBE in 1962.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ Jack Woddis (1961). Africa, the lion awakes. Lawrence & Wishart. p. 207. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  2. ^ His name is given as D. A. Foreman in Festus Boahen Aboagye (1999). The Ghana Army: A Concise Contemporary Guide to Its Centennial Regimental History, 1897-1999. Sedco. p. 345. ISBN 978-9964-72-075-9. This is also the name given on the website of the Ghana Armed Forces website. "Past Chiefs of Naval Staff". Official website. Ghana Armed Forces. 25 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2010. Another book gives his surname as Forman, but only ascribes him initials in a list in which 'D. A. Forman' precedes 'D. A. Hansen': S. Kojo Addae (2005). A Short History of Ghana Armed Forces. Ministry of Defence of Ghana Armed Forces. ISBN 978-9988-8335-1-0.
  3. ^ ADM 196/151/51, The National Archives
  4. ^ BMD
  5. ^ "Cdr. Archibald George Forman DSC, RN". uboat.net. 2 December 2018.
  6. ^ Cdr. Archibald George Forman of the Royal Navy
  7. ^ "The Security Services" (PDF). National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 1. Ghana government. October 2004. pp. 3 & 4. Archived from the original (pdf) on 16 October 2006. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  8. ^ "Historical Background of The Ghana Navy". Official website. Ghana Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 27 August 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  9. ^ 'Gen. Alexander leaves Ghana: changes in high command', The Times, 26 September 1961.
  10. ^ 'The Birthday Honours', The Times, 2 June 1962.
  11. ^ Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 June 1962, p.4311
Military offices
Preceded by
Ghana Navy established 1959
Chief of Naval Staff
1959 – 1961
Succeeded by