British Indian Ocean Territory
 

8 Nov 1965 - 29 Jun 1976

Adopted 29 Jun 1976

Adopted 8 Nov 1990 Commissioner's Flag

Map of British Indian Ocean Territory  Hear National Anthem  "God Save the King"  Text of National Anthem Constitution Order (10 Jun 2004) Capital: London (Base on Diego Garcia) Currencies: US Dollar (USD); British Pound (GBP) National Holiday: 2nd Sat. in Jun (1948) Birthday of King Charles III Population: 3,000 on Diego Garcia (2018) (UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors) GDP: $N/A Exports: $5.8 million (2022) Imports: $25.8 million (2022) Ethnic groups: British and American 95.8%, others 4.1% (2001) Total U.S. Armed Forces: 220 (2023) Total British Forces: 40 (2019) Defense is the Responsibility of the U.K. Merchant marine: None (2024)  Religions: Christian 95%, others (2001) International Organizations/Treaties: UPU British Indian Ocean Territory Index Chronology Feb 1512                   Asserted to have been discovered by Portuguese Capt.                              Pedro Mascarenhas and named Ilha de Dom Garcia,                              in honor of his patron Dom Garcia de Noronha                              (b. 1479 - d. 1540). 1544                       Sighted by a Portuguese expedition under Spanish                              Capt. Diego García de Moguer, the island of                              Diego Garcia is later allegedly named for him. 1559                       Name 'Diego Garcia' first used on a map created by                               Englishman Edward Wright. 23 Sep 1721                Formally claimed for France by the Chevalier Jean-                              Baptiste Garnier de Fougeray as part of the claim                              to the Mascarene Islands (see Mauritius). Jan 1745                   First recorded landing on Diego Garcia by U.K. Capt.                              William Wells aboard East India Co. ship Pelham. 24 Sep 1769                French Lt. Jacques Raymond Grénier (b. 1736 -                              d. 1803), aboard the L'Heure du Berger, visited                              the islands. 1784                       First settlement begun on Diego Garcia by Sieur                              Pierre Marie Le Normand, under a concession dated                              17 Feb 1783. 27 Apr 1786 - 24 Sep 1786  British East India Company settlement on Diego                              Garcia, formally claiming it 4 May 1786 for U.K. 31 Dec 1810                Oil Islands part of British colony of Mauritius.  9-11 Oct 1914             The German cruiser Emden puts into Diego Garcia for                              maintenance (the islanders being unaware of WWI). 28 Nov 1941                British Landing and Maintenance Unit arrives at                              Diego Garcia to construct gun batteries. Feb 1942 - 30 Apr 1946     British RAF Station Diego Garcia and naval garrison.  8 Nov 1965                British Indian Ocean Territory established from                              parts of the Mauritius (Chagos Archipelago,                              [including Diego Garcia] and Seychelles (Aldabra                               Islands, Farquhar and the Desroches Islands). 30 Dec 1966                U.S. and UK signed a 50-year agreement to use the                              Chagos for military purposes by exchange of notes                              (UN Treaty Series, 603, No. 8737).  3 Apr 1967                U.K. buys all plantations of the Chagos archipelago                              for £660,000. 1968                       British deportation of the resident islanders begins                              (last remaining civilians deported from Peros                              Banhos Atoll on 27 Apr 1973). 20 Mar 1971                U.S. Navy begins construction of U.S. Naval                              Communications Station Diego Garcia (commissioned                              20 Mar 1973). 16 Apr 1971                Presence or return of civilian population banned                              (by Immigration Ordinance 1971, No. 1 of 1971). 15 Oct 1971                Remaining civilians deported from Diego Garcia. 28 Jun 1976                Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches Islands are                              returned to the Seychelles by the U.K. (by Order                              dated 9 Jun 1976).  1 Oct 1977                U.S. Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia opened.  2 Nov 2000                U.K. High Court overturns 1971 immigration ban;                              11 Jun 2004 BIOT order-in-council overturns the                              2000 court ruling, on 11 May 2006 the British                              High Court overturns the 2004 order; on 22 Oct                              2008 the House of Lords votes to support the                              government decision denying the islanders return.                              European Court of Human Rights dismisses case by                              Chagos Islanders claiming the right to return on                              20 Dec 2012. Finally, on 29 Jun 2016 the U.K.                              Supreme Court affirms the Islanders cannot return  1 Apr 2010                Chagos Marine Protected Area established to cover                              the waters around the Chagos Archipelago (ruled                              illegal by Permanent Court of Arbitration on                              18 Mar 2015, without effect). 25 Feb 2019                International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion                              found the U.K. in breach of international law by                              seeking to maintain its claim to the archipelago. 22 May 2019                United Nations General Assembly votes to affirm the                              islands are part of Mauritius and for the U.K. to                              evacuate the Chagos Archipelago by 22 Nov 2019                              (not effected). 28 Jan 2021                International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea rules,                              in a dispute between Mauritius and Maldives on                              their maritime boundary, that the U.K. has no                              sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and that                              Mauritius has sovereignty.  3 Oct 2024                U.K. announced agreement to hand over the territory                              to Mauritius, though retaining the joint U.S.-U.K.                              military base on Diego Garcia. U.S. Naval Base Diego Garcia

British East India Company Resident of Diego Garcia
27 Apr 1786 - 24 Sep 1786  Richard Thomas Benjamin Price 
French Factory Managers
1793 - 1809                Lapotaire
1809 - 1810                Blevec + Chepe
British Agent
1824 - 1829                Le Camus
Constable
Sep 1885 - Mar 1889        Vere Alban Butler
East Point Plantation Managers
1866 - 1883                James Spurs
1883 - 1885                Jules Le Conte                     (b. 1847 - d .....)
1885 - c.1890              ....
c.1890 - 1893              Thomas Larcher
c.1893 - c.1896            ....
c.1896 - 1910              Phillipe De Caila
1910 - c.1922              ....
Point Marianne Plantation Managers
c.1884                     Desjardins
c.1884 - c.1890            ....
c.1890                     Lemasson
c.1890 - c.1893            ....
c.1893                     Phillipe De Caila
c.1893 - c.1896            ....
c.1896 - 1909              Leal
1909 - c.1922              ....
c.1922                     F. Bax
Diego Garcia Plantation Managers (after c.1922 all plantations were combined)
1913 - 1915                Walter Cummins
1915 - 1922                William Suzor
c.1922 - c.1926            ....
c.1926                     Rémy Henry Edouard d'Argent        (b. 1877 - d. 1930)
c.1927                     John Lewis Powell
1928 - Jul 1939            Joseph Loïs de Chasteigner Dumée   (b. 1892 - d. 1976)
Jul 1939 - Jun 1940        R. Chaboche
Jun 1940 - Nov 1943        W. Thatcher
Nov 1943 - 1948            L. Monnier
1948 - Jun 1952            H. d'Unienville
Jun 1952 - c.1958          Félix George Joseph Lanier         (b. 1889 - d. 1967)
c.1958 - 27 Feb 1962       Robert Talbot
27 Feb 1962 - c.1967       ....
c.1967                     Reginald Payet                     (b. 19.. - d. c.2004)
Jan 1968 - 1973            Marcel Moulinié                    (b. 1938)
British Commanding officer of the Landing and Maintenance Unit and Force "Shortcut"
28 Nov 1941 - 19 Mar 1942  Leonard Oliver Jones               (b. 1898 - d. 1971)
British Military Commanders Fortress, Diego Garcia
(subordinated to Commander British Forces Ceylon)
Feb 1942 - 1942            James Alan Thompson 
1942 - 1943                ....
1943 - Jun 1944            John Mackay                        (b. 1920 - d. 1997)
1944? - 1945               George Huxford                     (b. c.1916)
1945                       Hayward Hodgman
Commissioners (in Seychelles to 4 Jul 1976, then London)
(from 13 Jul 1998, also commissioners for British Antarctic Territory)
 8 Nov 1965 -  4 Jul 1976  the governors of Seychelles
 4 Jul 1976 - 1976         Norman Aspin                       (b. 1922 - d. 2011)
1976 - 17 Sep 1979         Philip Robert Aked Mansfield       (b. 1926 - d. 2003)
17 Sep 1979 - 1982         John Adam Robson                   (b. 1930 - d. 2016)
1982 - 1985                William Nigel Wenban-Smith         (b. 1936)
1985 - 1988                William Marsden                    (b. 1940 - d. 2019)
1988 -  2 Oct 1991         Richard John Smale Edis            (b. 1943 - d. 2002)
 2 Oct 1991 - 28 Jan 1994  Thomas George Harris               (b. 1945 - d. 2021)
28 Jan 1994 -  1 Jul 1996  David Ross MacLennan               (b. 1945)
 1 Jul 1996 - 17 Feb 1998  Bruce Harry Dinwiddy               (b. 1946 - d. 2021)
17 Feb 1998 - 13 Jul 1998  Christopher Edward John Wilton     (b. 1951)
13 Jul 1998 - 23 Apr 2001  Charles John Branford White        (b. 1946)
23 Apr 2001 - 12 Jan 2004  Alan Edden Huckle                  (b. 1948)
12 Jan 2004 - 31 Jul 2006  Anthony "Tony" Campbell Crombie    (b. 1956)
31 Jul 2006 - 23 Jun 2008  Robert Leigh Turner                (b. 1958)
23 Jun 2008 - 17 Oct 2012  Colin Roberts                      (b. 1959)
17 Oct 2012 -  9 Dec 2016  Peter Richard Hayes                (b. 1963)
10 Dec 2016 - 30 Jun 2017  John Kittmer                       (b. 1967)
 1 Jul 2017 -  7 Aug 2017  Alex Cameron (acting)
 7 Aug 2017 - 30 Jun 2021  Benjamin "Ben" Robert Merrick  
 1 Jul 2021 - Aug 2024     Paul Candler
Aug 2024 -                 Nishi Dholakia (acting)
Administrators (in Seychelles to 6 Jul 1976, then London)
 8 Nov 1965 - 1974         John Rawling Todd                  (b. 1929 - d. 2002)
1974 -  6 Jul 1976         David Kenneth Hay Dale             (b. 1927 - d. 2001)
 6 Jul 1976 - 1977         Martin Kenneth Ewans               (b. 1928 - d. 2012)
1977 -  9 Feb 1979         Alan Gordon Munro                  (b. 1935)
 9 Feb 1979 -  3 Oct 1979  John Adam Robson                   (s.a.)
 3 Oct 1979 - 11 Jul 1981  James Gordon Wallace               (b. 1931)
11 Jul 1980 - 1982         Peter Albert Raftery               (b. 1929 - d. 1996)
1982 - 1984                Denis Henry Doble                  (b. 1936)
1984 - 1985                Thomas Clive Somerville Stitt      (b. 1948 - d. 2017)
1985 - 1988                Peter Charles Freeman Gregory-Hood (b. 1943)
1988 - 1990                Michael Robin Crompton             (b. 1938 - d. 2000)
1990                       Stephen Edward Turner (acting)     (b. 1946)
26 Sep 1990 - 14 Sep 1992  Roger Geoffrey Wells               (b. 1942)
14 Sep 1992 - 11 Nov 1994  Donald Hunter Cairns               (b. 1946)
11 Nov 1994 - 15 Apr 1996  David Joseph Smith                 (b. 1951)
15 Apr 1996 - 15 Mar 2002  Louise Margaret Savill (f)         (b. 1946)
15 Mar 2002 - 14 Feb 2005  Charles Allan Hamilton             (b. 1948)
14 Feb 2005 -  3 Dec 2007  Tony John Humphries
 3 Dec 2007 - Apr 2011     Joanne Mary Yeadon (f)             (b. 1965)
Apr 2011 - Jul 2013        John Andrew McManus                (b. 1955)
Jul 2013 - Mar 2016        Tom Moody
31 Mar 2016 - Mar 2017     Nicola Carnie (f)
Mar 2017 - Jul 2017        Murielle Benjamin (f) (acting)
Jul 2017 - 13 Jan 2020     Linsey Billing (f)
13 Jan 2020 - 25 Apr 2022  Kit Pyman
25 Apr 2022 -  5 Apr 2024  Balraj Dhanda      
 5 Apr 2024 - Jun 2024     Emily Ager (f)      
Jun 2024 -                 Bob Fairweather

Heads of the British Indian Ocean Territory Unit,
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (in London)
2019 - 2020                David William Concar               (b. 1962?)
2020 - Mar 2022            Fionna Gibb (f)                    (b. 1963)
Apr 2022 - Sep 2023        Rebecca "Becky" Richards (f)
Oct 2023 -                 Nishi Dholakia

Commissioner's Representatives and Justices of the Peace
and Officers Commanding British Forces in Diego Garcia
15 Feb 1971 - 15 Jun 1974  John Canter
16 Jun 1974 - 19 Jul 1975  B. Credland
20 Jul 1975 - 24 Jul 1976  L.W. Spinks
25 Jul 1976 - 23 Jul 1977  Arthur G. Portwine, Jr.
24 Jul 1977 - 17 Jul 1978  B.E. Clark
18 Jul 1978 - 13 May 1979  J.N. Martin
14 May 1979 - 15 Jul 1980  D.A. Goodling
16 Jul 1980 - 25 Mar 1982  G.N. Wells
26 Mar 1982 -  9 Mar 1983  P.T. Libby
10 Mar 1983 - 25 May 1983  K.G.V. Gill
26 May 1983 -  4 Apr 1984  Anthony "Tony" J.G. Hodgson
 5 Apr 1984 -  4 Apr 1986  John M.W. Topp  
 3 Apr 1986 - 13 May 1987  J. Maxwell
14 May 1987 - 16 May 1988  Peter N. Drummond
17 May 1988 - 12 Jun 1989  Richard J.R. Martin
13 Jun 1989 - 14 Jun 1990  Alan J. Tremelling
15 Jun 1990 - 10 Jun 1991  Roger Alan Hornshaw
 7 Jun 1991 - 12 Jun 1992  P.A.W. Raine 
13 Jun 1992 - 12 Jul 1994  H. Fred Hatton
13 Jul 1994 - 15 Jul 1995  J.P. Wraith
16 Jul 1995 -  8 Jul 1996  P.C.M. Baker
 9 Jul 1996 -  8 Jul 1997  S. Jackson  
11 Jul 1997 - 10 Jul 1998  D. Gram Niven
11 Jul 1998 - 20 Aug 1999  P. White
21 Aug 1999 - 28 Jul 2000  Stuart Watt
29 Jul 2000 -  2 Aug 2001  Peter R. Lewis 
 3 Aug 2001 -  3 Feb 2003  Adam J.U. Peters
 4 Feb 2003 - 14 Feb 2004  Neil E. Hinch
15 Feb 2004 - 22 Mar 2006  Chris Davies
23 Mar 2006 - Mar 2007     Dan G. Howard
Mar 2007 - Mar 2008        Gary L. Brooks                    (b. 1966)
Mar 2008 - May 2009        Simon C.L. Nicholson
May 2009 -  3 Mar 2010     Richard P. Stevens
 3 Mar 2010 -  4 Jan 2011  Christopher Moorey
 4 Jan 2011 - 14 Jan 2013  Richard G.C. Marshall
14 Jan 2013 - 2015         Lee C. Hardy                      (b. 1961?)
2015 - 2017                Edward Lees
2017 - 19 Apr 2019         Karen Cahill (f)                  (b. c.1978)
19 Apr 2019 - 15 Dec 2020  Kay Burbidge (f)
15 Dec 2020 - 20 Jan 2022  Steven Ronald Drysdale
20 Jan 2022 - 12 Jan 2024  Colvin Osborn
12 Jan 2024 -              Roger Malone

U.S. Naval Facility Diego Garcia

U.S. Island Commanders, Diego Garcia (Civil Engineer Corps)
20 Mar 1971 - 19 Nov 1971  Daniel Wayne Urish                (b. 1930)
19 Nov 1971 - Jul 1972     Philip Oliver, Jr.                (b. 1931)
Jul 1972 - 15 Dec 1972     Frank Miall Newcomb               (b. 1935 - d. 1989)
15 Dec 1972 - 20 Mar 1973  Jack Michael Toliver              (b. 1931 - d. 1998)
U.S. Commanders, U.S. Naval Communications Station Diego Garcia
20 Mar 1973 - 197.         Clyde Edward Hamilton             (b. 1929)
197. - 30 Sep 1977         Philip Fred Yosway                (b. 1930)
U.S. Commanding Officers, U.S. Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia
 1 Oct 1977 - May 1978     Bobie Andrews                     (b. 1932 - d. 2019)
May 1978 - Jun 1978        Sidney Theodore Hodge             (b. 1932 - d. 2004)
Jun 1978 - Sep 1980        Steven Block                      (b. 1931)
Sep 1980 - Sep 1981        Theodore Anthony Peltz            (b. 1936 - d. 1997)
Sep 1981 - Sep 1982        Daniel Robert Bilicki             (b. 1934)
Sep 1982 - Sep 1983        William Scott Renner              (b. 1935)
Sep 1983 - Sep 1984        Harvey Andrews Eikel              (b. 1935 - d. 2013)
Sep 1984 - Sep 1985        Grady Lee Jackson                 (b. 1939)
Sep 1985 - Sep 1986        Giles Roderick Norrington         (b. 1935)
Sep 1986 - Jul 1987        Theodore Wallace Triebel          (b. 1941)
Jul 1987 - 12 Jul 1988     Bruce William "Bill" Barker       (b. 1942)
12 Jul 1988 - Sep 1989     Jimmy Duke Anderson               (b. 1943)  
Sep 1989 - Aug 1990        George Eugene Wilson, Jr.         (b. 1942 - d. 2019)
Aug 1990 - Aug 1991        Richard Galen Simms               (b. 1942)
Aug 1991 - Jul 1992        Kenneth Charles Cech              (b. 1947)
Aug 1992 - Jun 1993        Stephen Carl Wood                 (b. 1943)
Jun 1993 - Aug 1994        Vernon Holmes Overall             (b. 1946)
Aug 1994 - Aug 1995        Glenn Thomas Brodie               (b. 1944)
Aug 1995 - Aug 1996        David Alan Rannells               (b. 1946)
Aug 1996 - Aug 1997        Allen Blaine Worley               (b. 1952)
Aug 1997 - Jun 1998        ... Miller
Jun 1998 - Jun 1999        David Thomas Cunningham           (b. 1953)
Jun 1999 - Jun 2000        John Douglas Christensen          (b. 1952)
Jun 2000 - 27 Jun 2001     James Harry Patrick               (b. 1950)
27 Jun 2001 - Dec 2002     Michael "Mike" Charles Lucarelli  (b. 1956) 
Dec 2002 - Jul 2003        Robert Michael Hibbert            (b. 1957)   
Jul 2003 -  1 Jul 20004    Gary Thomas Cooper                (b. 1958)
 1 Jul 2004 - 21 Jun 2005  Edward Joseph Martin, Jr.         (b. 1957)
21 Jun 2005 - Jun 2006     Gilmore Nunn Birklund             (b. 1959)
Jun 2006 - 17 Jun 2007     Patrick Joseph Dougherty          (b. 1960)
17 Jun 2007 -  3 Jun 2008  Gregory Lyndon Looney             (b. 1962)
 3 Jun 2008 - 11 Jun 2009  Daniel Timothy McNamara           (b. 1963)
11 Jun 2009 - 23 Jun 2010  Hugh Michael Flanagan, Jr.        (b. 1964)
23 Jun 2010 -  9 Jun 2011  Anthony Paul Chatham              (b. 1963)
 9 Jun 2011 - 13 Jun 2012  David Landman Tidwell             (b. 1966)
13 Jun 2012 - 13 Jun 2013  Richard Abbott Skiff, Jr.         (b. 1966)
13 Jun 2013 - 18 Jun 2015  Matthew R. Vandersluis            (b. 1968)
18 Jun 2015 - Jun 2016     Craig Matthew Snyder              (b. 1971)
Jun 2016 - 20 Jun 2017     Budd E. Bergloff                  (b. 1966)
20 Jun 2017 - 11 Jun 2018  John C. Compton                   (b. 1967?)
11 Jun 2018 - 28 Jun 2019  Michael C. Bratley                (b. 1965?)
28 Jun 2019 - 12 Aug 2020  Blake Jefrey Tornga               (b. 1970)
12 Aug 2020 -  6 Jul 2021  R. Wade Blizzard                  (b. c.1973)
 6 Jul 2021 - 15 Jul 2022  Richard D. Payne
15 Jul 2022 - 12 Jul 2023  John "Grommet" F. Wilson 
12 Jul 2023 -              Peter J. Hatcher

No Political Parties Exist

Territorial Disputes: Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Islands; negotiations between 1971 and 1982 resulted in the establishment of a trust fund by the British Government as compensation for the displaced islanders, known as Chagossians, who were evicted between 1967-73; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago were granted U.K. citizenship and the right of return; in 2006 and 2007, British court rulings invalidated the immigration policies contained in the 2004 BIOT Constitution Order that had excluded the islanders from the archipelago; in 22 Oct 2008 a House of Lords' decision overturned lower court rulings, once again denying the right of return to Chagossians, in 29 Jun 2016 the U.K. Supreme Court affirms the 2008 House of Lords' decision denying the right of return to Chagossians; in addition, the U.K. created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein.