Commander of the Ceylon Defence Force was the title of the head of the Ceylon Defence Force.[1] The post was created in 1888, replacing the position of General Officer Commanding, Ceylon, and existed until 1949.
| No. | Portrait | Rank | Name | Appointment | Left office | Unit | Decorations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceylon Volunteers (1888-1896) | ||||||||
| 1 | 20 April 1888 | 27 August 1893 | ||||||
| 2 | 28 August 1893 | 13 May 1896 | CLIV | |||||
| Ceylon Volunteers Force (1896-1913) | ||||||||
| 3 | 13 May 1896 | 1902 | ||||||
| H. G. Morris | 1902 | 1902 | ||||||
| 3 | 1902 | 14 March 1913 | ||||||
| Gorden Fraser | 14 March 1913 | 13 May 1913 | VD, CLI | |||||
| 3 | 13 May 1913 | 31 May 1913 | ||||||
| Ceylon Defence Force (1913-1946) | ||||||||
| 4 | 1 June 1913 | 6 March 1914 | ||||||
| W. G. B. Dickson | 6 March 1914 | ? | CMR | |||||
| Edward James Hayward | 7 October 1914 | ? | CBE, VD, CAV | |||||
| 4 | ? | 31 December 1919 | ||||||
| Thomas Howard Chapman | 1 January 1920 | 21 July 1920 | ||||||
| 5 | 22 July 1920 | 8 February 1927 | ||||||
| 6 | 9 February 1927 | 14 December 1928 | ||||||
| G. B. Stevens | 14 December 1928 | 28 April 1929 | VD | |||||
| 7 | 29 April 1929 | 3 March 1935 | ||||||
| 8 | 3 March 1935 | 12 May 1937 | ||||||
| 9 | 13 May 1937 | 5 February 1939 | ||||||
| 10 | 6 February 1939 | 1 January 1942 | ||||||
| 11 | 1 January 1942 | 1945 | ||||||
| 12 | 1945 | 1946 | ||||||
| Ceylon Defence Force & Ceylon Volunteers Force (1946-1949) | ||||||||
| Randolph Jewell Francis Mendis | 6 April 1946 | 7 August 1949 |