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This page contains the ranks of:

  1. Royal Navy Officers and Royal Navy Rating
  2. Royal Marine Officers and Royal Marine Other Ranks
  3. Army Officers and Army NCOs and men.

Royal Navy

Royal Navy Officers

Rank

Admiral of the Fleet

Admiral

Vice Admiral

Rear Admiral

Commodore

Captain

Staff-Captain

Commander

Staff Commander

Lieutenant

Navigating Lieutenant

Sub Lieutenant

Chief Gunner

Chief Boatswain

Gunner

Boatswain

Midshipman

Naval Cadet

Royal Navy Ratings

Rank

Chief Petty Officer

Petty Officer 1st Class

Petty Officer 2nd Class

Leading Seaman

Able Seaman

Ordinary Seaman

Boy 1st Class

Boy 2nd Class

Royal Marines

Royal Marines units were either Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) or Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI).  Royal Marines came under the Royal Navy when at sea but when ashore during the Boer War they came under the Army Act.   The Royal Marines ranked 50th in order of precedence as they were raised in 1755.  Royal Marine officers' ranks were senior to those of the Army.

Royal Marine Officers

Rank

 

 

 

Lieutenant Colonel

 

Major

 

Captain

 

1st Lieutenant

 

2nd Lieutenant

 

Royal Marine Other Ranks

Rank

 

 

Sergeant Major

Artillery and Light Infantry

Colour Sergeant

Artillery and Light Infantry

Sergeant

Artillery and Light Infantry

Corporal

Artillery and Light Infantry

Bombardier

Artillery

Gunner

Artillery

Gunner 2nd Class

Artillery

Private

Light Infantry

Bugler

Artillery and Light Infantry

Army

Army ranks - Officers

Rank

Typical command of

 

 

Field Marshal

Army

General

Army or Army Corps

Lieutenant General

 

Major General

Brigade

Brigadier General

Cavalry Brigade

Colonel

Staff appointment

Lieutenant Colonel

Cavalry regiment, artillery brigade or infantry Battalion

Major

Cavalry squadron, artillery battery or infantry company

Captain

Cavalry squadron or troop, artillery battery second-in-command or infantry company

Lieutenant

Cavalry troop, artillery section or infantry platoon

2nd Lieutenant

Cavalry troop, artillery section or infantry platoon

Notes:

  1. General - The King used to be the titular 'general' in command of the army but after the battle of Dettingen in 1743, the last time an English king led an army into battle, the title of general was assumed by the person nominated by the King to command the army.
  2. Lieutenant General - The second in command of the army, often a field commander.  This person could serve in 'lieu' of the general hence 'Lieu¬tenant' General.
  3. Major General - The army used to be commanded by an experienced professional soldier, called a 'Sergeant Major' General.  The prefix was omitted leaving the rank of Major General.
  4. Colonel - In 1505, King Ferdinand of Spain created a sub division within the army called a column (colunela in Spanish).  The officers in charge of the columns were called Chiefs of Columns (cabo di colunela).  The rank of Colonel comes from the Spanish.
  5. Brevet ranks - The rank of brevet was a special award for distinguished service.  A brevet was not issued below the rank of Major or above the rank of Colonel.  An individual's army seniority came from his brevet rank, while his regimental seniority came from his substantive rank.  For example, Lord Dundonald was, at one point, a Major in the 2nd Life Guards, but a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army.  When he found himself in command of a force that included his own regiment it could be a potentially difficult situation.  He said 'I have never liked commanding my own Colonel, and told him so, but he was always very good about it and did not seem to mind!'  General Sir George Colley was appointed Brevet Colonel for services in the Ashanti War but, when he returned to his regiment, he resumed the rank of Captain.

Army NCOs and men

Rank

 

 

 

Regimental Sergeant Major

 

Warrant Officer

 

Master Gunner 3rd Class

 

Army Schoolmaster

 

Militia Sergeant Major

 

Quartermaster-Corporal Major or Quartermaster-Sergeant Major

 

Squadron Corporal Major or Squadron, Battery, Troop or Company Sergeant Major

 

Squadron Quartermaster Corporal or Squadron, Battery, Troop or Company Quartermaster Sergeant

 

Colour Sergeant

 

Staff Corporal or Staff Sergeant

 

Corporal of Horse or Sergeant

 

Corporal Bombardier or 2nd Corporal

 

Gunner, Driver, Sapper, Pioneer or Private

 

Notes:

  1. There is an important distinction to be made between ranks and appointment. A rank could have several appointments. For example, the appointment of bandmaster, Conductor or Sergeant major would relate to a rank of Warrant Officer, the appointment of Paymaster Sergeant or Orderly Room Sergeant would relate to the rank of Sergeant.
  2. The Household Cavalry does not have the rank 'Sergeant'. Its 'Corporal' is equivalent to the rest of the army's 'Sergeant'.
  3. Some ranks are specific to the unit ie Conductor - Army Ordnance Corps, Gunner - Royal Artillery, Driver - Royal Artillery, Army Service Corps, sapper - Royal Engineers, Pioneer - Royal Engineers (rank), Infantry (appointment), Private - Cavalry, Infantry (including Household Cavalry and Foot Guards)
  4. The rank of Trooper is seen in Colonial units and in the Imperial Yeomanry but did not appear in the Regular Army until 1909.

Parent Category: Other information
Category: General
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