Miscellaneous information

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.
   
   

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