British Army officer rank insignia
Encyclopedia
| NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student Officer | |
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 British ArmyBritish Army The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England... |
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No Equivalent |  |
| Field Marshal1 | General General (United Kingdom) General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank.... |
Lieutenant-General2 | Major-General Major-General (United Kingdom) Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general... |
Brigadier Brigadier (United Kingdom) Brigadier is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines.Brigadier is the superior rank to Colonel, but subordinate to Major-General.... 3 |
Colonel | Lieutenant-Colonel2 | Major | Captain Captain (British Army and Royal Marines) Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force... |
Lieutenant2 | Second Lieutenant2 | Officer Cadet | ||
| Abbreviation: | FM | Gen | Lt Gen | Maj Gen | Brig | Col | Lt Col | Maj | Capt | Lt | 2Lt | OCdt | |
| NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student Officer | |
1 Rank in abeyance Abeyance Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly... - appointments no longer made to this rank in peacetime. 2 Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... is pronounced as 'Leftenant'. 3 Brigadier-General (until 1922), Colonel-Commandant (1922–1928), Brigadier (since 1928) |
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Origins
The first British Army rank insignia were introduced in 1760. According to the Royal Clothing Warrant, General Officers were distinguished by the pattern and arrangement of laces on the cuff.Badges for field officer
Field officer
A field officer is an army, marine, or air force commissioned officer senior in rank to a company officer but junior to a general officer; in some navies, it is an officer who is a Lieutenant Commander, Commander, or Captain....
s were first introduced in 1810. These badges consisted of (and still consist of) crowns and stars, (the latter being more likely to be called 'pips' today, although this term is technically incorrect). These rank insignia were worn on shoulder epaulette
Epaulette
Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations.Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or "passant", a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the...
s.
The star is that of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, except in the Household regiments.
- The star of the Order of the GarterOrder of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
is used by the Life GuardsLife Guards (British Army)The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
, Blues and RoyalsBlues and RoyalsThe Blues and Royals is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. The Colonel-in-Chief is Her Majesty The Queen and the Colonel is HRH The Princess Royal...
, Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
, Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
and Welsh GuardsWelsh GuardsThe Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
. - The star of the Order of the ThistleOrder of the ThistleThe Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
is used by the Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
. - The star of the Order of St Patrick is used by the Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
.
The Crown has varied in the past, with the King's Imperial Crown
Imperial State Crown
The Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.- Design :The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap...
being used from 1910 until it was replaced by the St Edward's Crown from the coronation of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1953.
In 1855, after the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, a new dress regulation was published specifying changes to collars.
In 1864, a new dress regulation specified the insignia of Brigadier General to be oak leaf and acorn laces of one inch on the upper and lower collar, and no star or crown.
During 1855 to 1880, Guards infantry regimental officers wore different rank insignia.
- Colonel, Lt Colonel and Major wore 1/2 inch regimental pattern laces on upper and lower collar with one crown and one star.
- Captain wore similar collar with one crown.
- Brevet Major wore similar collar with one star.
- Lt wore similar lace on upper collar with one crown and one star.
- Ensign wore similar collar with one crown.
(Life Guards and Horse Guards regimental officers wore similar rank insignia to Line infantry.)
After 1874, another dress regulation was introduced, collar devices are same for field and Company grade officers, but collar pattern was changed. Line, Light and fusilier
Fusilier
Fusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation.-History:...
regiments were used one pattern collar, Dragoon Guards and Dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
used another pattern, Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
another pattern, Lancer
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used in mounted warfare by the Assyrians as early as and subsequently by Greek, Persian, Gallic, Han-Chinese, nomadic and Roman horsemen...
another pattern. Individual types regiment and corps used different pattern of collar. This pattern collar was continued until Queen Victoria's death.
All officers' badges on service dress were originally of gilding metal, except for Rifle regiments and the Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Royal Army Chaplains' Department
The Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
, which used bronze instead. A variety of alternative materials and prints have been used on various styles of dress.
The insignia was moved to the shoulder boards in 1880 for all officers in full dress, when the system of crowns and stars was reorganised on similar lines to that seen today. Exceptions included the rank of Brigadier General (now Brigadier- see below) and until 1902, a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
had just two stars and a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
one star. From 1871, the rank of Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
(Cornet
Cornet (military rank)
Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, after captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer.- Traditional duties :The cornet carried the troop standard, also known as a "cornet"....
in cavalry regiments) was replaced with the rank of Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
, which had no insignia. The 1902 change gave the latter a single star and the insignia of Lieutenants and Captains were increased to two and three stars respectively. In addition to the shoulder badges, officers' ranks were also reflected in the amount and pattern of gold lace worn on the cuffs of the full-dress tunic.
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
s wore a crossed sword and baton symbol on its own. In 1922 the rank was replaced with Colonel-Commandant, a title that reflected the role more accurately, but which many considered to be inappropriate in a British context. From 1928 the latter was replaced with the rank of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
with the rank insignia used to this day.
| 1760 | 1810 | 1855 | 1864 | 1871 | 1880 | 1902 | 1922 | 1928 | today | ||
| Field Marshal | Six laces in equal distance | 1 inch wide oak leaves and acorn designed laces on upper and lower collar, with two crossed red batons above a wreath of oak leaves | crown above two crossed red batons within a wreath of oak leaves | ||||||||
| General | Four laces in equal distance | Similar collar with one crown and one star | crown above star above crossed baton and sabre | ||||||||
| Lt General | Six laces in threes | Similar collar with one crown | crown above crossed baton and sabre | ||||||||
| Major General | Four laces in pairs | Similar collar with one star | star above crossed baton and sabre | ||||||||
| Brigadier General | Three laces, the upper two in a pair | 1/2 inch staff pattern laces on upper and lower collar, with one crown and one star | 1 inch oak leaves and acron designed laces on upper and lower collar (i.e. similar collar with no star or crown) | crossed baton and sabre | |||||||
| Colonel-Commandant/Colonel on the Staff | a crown above three stars | ||||||||||
| Brigadier | a crown above three stars | ||||||||||
| Colonel | Bullion fringed epaulette on both sholuders |
crown and star | 1/2 inch regimental pattern laces on upper and lower collar, with one crown and one star | a crown above two stars | |||||||
| Lt Colonel | a crown | Similar collar with one crown | a crown above one star | ||||||||
| Major | a star | Similar collar with one star | a crown | ||||||||
| Captain | Fringed epaulette on left shoulder | 1/2 inch regimental lace on upper collar with one crown and one star | two stars | three stars | |||||||
| Subaltern | |||||||||||
| Lieutenant | no insignia | Similar collar with one crown | one star | two stars | |||||||
| Ensign/ Cornet |
Similar collar with one star | ||||||||||
| 2nd Lt | no insignia | one star | |||||||||
| 1760 | 1810 | 1855 | 1864 | 1871 | 1880 | 1902 | 1922 | 1928 | today | ||
In 1902, a complex system of markings with bars and loops in thin drab braid above the cuff (known irreverently as the asparagus
Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
bed) was used at first, but this was replaced in the same year by a combination of narrow rings of worsted braid around the cuff, with the full-dress style shoulder badges on a three-pointed cuff flap. Based on equivalent naval ranks, Colonels had four rings of braid, Lieutenant-Colonels and majors three, captains two and subalterns one. In the case of Scottish regiments, the rings were around the top of the gauntlet-style cuff and the badges on the cuff itself. General officers still wore their badges on the shoulder strap.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, some officers took to wearing tunics with the rank badges on the shoulder, as the cuff badges made them too conspicuous to snipers. This practice was frowned on outside the trenches but was given official sanction in 1917 as an optional alternative, being made permanent in 1920, when the cuff badges were abolished.
Today, when in combat dress (Combat Soldier 95) the 'rank slide' is worn on the centre of the chest, rather than on the shoulder.
Historical ranks
- Captain-General: (ca. 17th century) a full GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. - Sergeant-Major-General: (ca. 17th century) shortened to Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. - Brigadier-General: replaced by Colonel-Commandant in 1922.
- Colonel-Commandant: replaced by BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
in 1928. - Sergeant-Major's Major: (ca. 17th century) shortened to MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. - Captain-Lieutenant: (ca. 17th & 18th century) the lieutenant of the first company in a regiment, whose captaincy was held by the regimental colonel. On promotion to full captain, the period in this rank was treated as having been a full captain for pay and pension purposes, since he effectively commanded the company.
- Ensign: lowest subaltern rank in infantry regiments; replaced in 1871 by Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
, but still used to refer to Second Lieutenants in some Guards regiments. - Cornet: cavalry equivalent of ensign replaced in 1871 by Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
, but still used to refer to Second Lieutenants in some cavalry regiments, including the Blues and Royals and The Queen's Royal HussarsThe Queen's Royal HussarsThe Queen's Royal Hussars is the senior United Kingdom light cavalry regiment. It was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars...
.
See also
- British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
- British Army UniformBritish Army UniformBritish Army uniform currently exists in several grades, which are worn depending on the requirements of a unit or individual, ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress.-History:...
- RAF officer ranksRAF officer ranks- Ranks :-Origins:Lieutenant-General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a combination of British Army and Royal Navy ranks...
- Royal Navy officer rank insigniaRoyal Navy officer rank insignia-Officers:Uniforms for naval officers were not authorized until 1748. At first the cut and style of the uniform differed considerably between ranks and specific rank insignia only sporadically used...
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies
- United Kingdom and United States military ranks compared
- Comparative military ranks of World War IComparative military ranks of World War IThe following table shows comparative officer ranks of the principal Allied and Central powers during World War I. For modern ranks refer to Comparative military ranks.See also: Comparative military ranks of World War IIMajor participants not shown:...
- Comparative officer ranks of World War II
- Comparative military ranksComparative military ranksThis article is a list of various states' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference...
- Military rankMilitary rankMilitary rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...