British Army Other Ranks Rank Insignia - Historical Ranks

Historical Ranks

  • Sergeant-Major: equivalent to the current Regimental Sergeant Major, a Warrant Officer class 1
  • Company Sergeant-Major: now an appointment of Warrant Officer class 2
  • Quartermaster Sergeant: can now be a Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (Warrant Officer class 2) or a Company Quartermaster Sergeant (Staff Sergeant)
  • Colour Sergeant: gave way to staff sgt over years prior to World War I although colour sergeant exists today in the Royal Marines and any infantry regiments, equivalent to a staff sergeant in the army, and is still used to refer to all staff sergeants in infantry regiments and the Honourable Artillery Company:
  • Lance-Sergeant: appointment originally given to corporals acting in the rank of sergeant, discontinued in 1946 except in the Foot Guards, Honourable Artillery Company: and some cadet units.
  • Acting Bombardier: appointment originally given to Royal Artillery privates acting in the rank of bombardier, discontinued in 1920
  • Second Corporal: Royal Engineer and Ordnance Corps rank until 1920, equivalent to lance-corporal but a substantive instead of an acting rank
  • Chosen Man: became lance corporal in early 19th century

Read more about this topic:  British Army Other Ranks Rank Insignia

Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or ranks:

    The past itself, as historical change continues to accelerate, has become the most surreal of subjects—making it possible ... to see a new beauty in what is vanishing.
    Susan Sontag (b. 1933)

    Money is a singular thing. It ranks with love as man’s greatest source of joy. And with death as his greatest source of anxiety. Over all history it has oppressed nearly all people in one of two ways: either it has been abundant and very unreliable, or reliable and very scarce.
    John Kenneth Galbraith (b. 1908)