Former Ranks of The Canadian Forces - Relative Ranks and Responsibilities

Relative Ranks and Responsibilities

The ranks of the new Canadian Forces did not match up exactly with the ranks (and attendant responsibilities) of the old system.

In the army, for example, an infantry platoon would have a sergeant for a second in command and a staff sergeant would serve as a company quartermaster sergeant. In the new Canadian Forces, however, a warrant officer would fill both those roles. While an infantry section was commanded by a corporal pre-unification, after unification that task fell on a sergeant. The rank of corporal in the army was especially downgraded in terms of responsibility; before unification a Canadian corporal was the equivalent of a sergeant in most other armies due to his responsibility as a section commander. After unification, the rank of corporal became nothing more than a pay raise with authority being granted instead to the new master corporals. Equivalents in the table below are very approximate, then.

NATO
code		 Canadian Forces
Maritime Command (1968-2010),
RCN (2010-)		 Royal Canadian
Navy
(before 1968)		 Canadian Forces
(Land Force Command (from 2010 Canadian Army),
Air Command (RCAF from 2010-))		 Canadian Army before 1968 Royal Canadian
Air Force (before 1968)
Flag Officers General Officers Air Officers
OF-9 Admiral Admiral General General Air Chief Marshal
OF-8 Vice Admiral Vice Admiral Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Air Marshal
OF-7 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral Major General Major General Air Vice Marshal
OF-6 Commodore Commodore Brigadier General Brigadier Air Commodore
Officers
OF-5 Captain (N) Captain Colonel Colonel Group Captain
OF-4 Commander Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Wing Commander
OF-3 Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant Commander Major Major Squadron Leader
OF-2 Lieutenant (N) Lieutenant Captain Captain Flight Lieutenant
OF-1 Sub Lieutenant Sub Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer
Acting Sub Lieutenant Acting Sub Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Pilot Officer
OF-? Naval Cadet Midshipman Officer Cadet Officer Cadet Officer Cadet
Non-Commissioned personnel
OR-9 Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Chief Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Class I Warrant Officer Class I
OR-8 Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Master Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Class II Warrant Officer Class II
OR-? Petty Officer 1st Class Petty Officer 1st Class Warrant Officer Staff Sergeant Flight Sergeant
OR-? - - Sergeant Sergeant
OR-? Petty Officer 2nd Class Petty Officer 2nd Class Sergeant Corporal Corporal
OR-? Master Seaman - Master Corporal Lance Corporal Leading Aircraftsman
OR-? Leading Seaman Leading Seaman Corporal Private Aircraftsman
OR-? Able Seaman Able Seaman Private (Trained)
OR-? Ordinary Seaman Ordinary Seaman Private (Basic)

Certain ranks had alternative titles according to tradition and the trade of the soldier.

Privates
  • Royal Canadian Armoured Corps – trooper
  • Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – gunner
  • Royal Canadian Engineers – sapper
  • Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
    • Guards regiments – guardsman
    • Rifle regiments – rifleman
    • Fusilier regiments – fusilier
  • Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – craftsman
Lance corporals
  • Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – lance bombardier
Corporals
  • Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – bombardier
Master corporals
  • Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – master bombardier

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