THE VARIOUS RANKS IN THE BRITISH ARMY, AND HOW TO DISTINGUISH THEM.
The civilian is often wofully puzzled when trying to make out the rank
of a military man in uniform. He sees a venerable, soldier-like man,
in scarlet or blue, marching beside a body of men. This personage is
crowned with a cocked hat with white plumes, with all the pomp of
sword, &c., and is immediately selected as “the General.” Impressed
with the appearance of the hero, his importance and rank, the speaker
inquires who the general officer is, and in reply will be informed
“that is the quartermaster, who has just been promoted from the rank of
serjeant-major.” Again, a ferocious-looking man, who, with long beard and
moustache, _walks_ (not _marches_) in rear of the regiment, with cocked
hat and trailing sword, is neither a fire-eating general nor dashing
colonel, but our kind medical friend, who looks at our tongue and feels
our pulse. A quiet-looking man, in a dark frock coat, who is the least
conspicuous of a group of officers, is General Sir Blank Blanco, K.C.B.,
the hero of so many battles.
The two principal points by which rank is indicated are the collars and
sleeves of the various coattees and jackets. A crown and star, used
either singly or in combination, denote three different degrees of rank.
Commencing at the highest rank, viz., Field-Marshal, we will now describe
the principal peculiarities of dress, so that the reader may be able to
form a generally correct opinion of the rank and occupation of each
member of the military service.
ARMY DRESS.
A Field-Marshal’s dress consists of a single-breasted scarlet tunic,
the collar laced round with inch lace. At each end of the collar are
two batons, crossed, and formed of crimson velvet and gold, worked on a
wreath of laurel embroidered in silver. The cuff, which is three inches
and a quarter deep, has two rows of inch lace round the top, and there is
a scarlet pointed slashed flap on the sleeve, laced with inch lace. On
the left shoulder is a double gold cord, with a small button to retain
the sash.
The buttons are gilt, and have on them two batons, crossed, and encircled
with laurels.
Cocked hat, with a plume of long white swan feathers, drooping downwards
and outwards, with scarlet feathers underneath.
The trousers are dark blue, with oak-pattern gold lace two and a half
inches wide down the sides.
The sword is scimitar shape, and contained in a brass scabbard. The hilt
is gilt, with an ivory grip, two batons crossed, and encircled with oak
leaves on the handle. The sword belt is of Russian leather, one and a
half inches wide, embroidered with three rows of gold embroidery. A sash
of gold and crimson silk net is worn over the left shoulder, the ends of
fringe hanging downwards.
The above is the full dress. The undress consists of double-breasted
frock coat of dark blue. The collar and cuffs of blue velvet with cross
batons on the collar, a double gold cord on the left shoulder to retain
the sash. The trousers are dark blue, with a broad red stripe down the
side. A forage cap with gold embroidered peak, and band of gold oak leaf
lace two inches wide round the cap.
The full dress of a General is the same as that of a Field-Marshal,
except that on the collar there is, in place of the cross batons, a
silver embroidered crown and star an inch and a quarter long. The buttons
are gilt, but instead of cross batons they have on them a sword and
baton crossed. The handle of the sword also has on it a sword and baton
crossed.
The undress of a General is blue frock coat, with sword and baton on
collar; in other respects like a Field-Marshal’s.
The dress of a Lieutenant-General, a Major-General, and a
Brigadier-General is the same as a General’s, with the exceptions that
a Lieutenant-General has on his collar a crown only, instead of a crown
and star. A Major-General has on his collar a star only, whilst a
Brigadier-General has the collar plain, without star or crown.
We now come to the three principal divisions of the remainder of the
regular officers, viz., Field Officers, Captains, and Subalterns.
Field Officers are all those above the rank of Captain and below the rank
of General; they consist therefore of Colonels, Lieutenant-Colonels,
and Majors. The distinguishing mark of a Field Officer is the lace
or embroidery on his sleeves, which comes to a point up the arms;
the annexed illustrations show the sleeve of a Field Officer of the
Artillery. In all line regiments and in several others, the Full Colonel
may be known by his wearing the dress of his regiment, and having on his
collar a crown and star. A Lieutenant-Colonel has a crown only, whilst a
Major has a star on his collar.
The sleeves of Line Officers are not embroidered, but the collar
trimmings also indicate their rank, the Field Officers having lace round
the top and bottom of the collar, down the edge of the skirts behind, on
the edge of the skirt flaps and edge of the sleeve flaps, and two rows of
lace round the top of the cuffs.
Officers below the rank of Field Officer have lace on the top only of the
collar, one row round the top of the cuff and none on the edge of the
skirts. Then on the collar a Captain has a star and crown, a Lieutenant a
crown, and an Ensign a star.
When the frock coat is worn, the collar will indicate the rank of the
Field Officer. The crown and star being the mark of the Colonel, a crown
for Lieutenant-Colonel, and the star for the Major. The same marks are
used for the various ranks when the shell jacket is used; but in both
these cases there is in the Line no difference between the dress of
a Captain and a Lieutenant or Ensign, but in the Royal Artillery and
Engineers the cuff lace will indicate to which rank the wearer belongs.
_a_, Field Officer’s patrol jacket; _b_, Captain’s sleeve for full dress;
_c_, Lieutenant’s sleeve.
[Illustration: _a._ _b._ _c._]
The distinguishing marks on the collar and sleeves of the majority of the
army serve to indicate the rank of the various officers, but we have also
to deal with other details.
DRESS AND RANK.
Commencing with the Medical Department, we shall be able to distinguish
the Surgeon and Assistant-Surgeon principally by the belt, which is of
black leather. They also wear the black shoulder-belt and instrument
case; in other respects their uniform is the same as is that of the other
officers of the regiment to which they belong, with the exception of
wearing a cocked hat with a black cock’s-tail feather, drooping, and five
inches in length.
When medical officers belong to what is called the “Staff,” and not to
any particular regiment, their full-dress is a scarlet tunic with black
velvet collar and cuffs, blue cloth trousers with gold lace, two and a
half inches wide for a Director-General or Inspector-General, and one
inch and three quarters for officers below that rank; cocked hat with
black cock’s-tail feathers, shoulder-belt and sword-belt of black morocco.
In undress a double-breasted blue frock coat, two rows of buttons down
the front, trousers of dark blue with scarlet stripe, the breadth of the
stripe varying according to the rank, the same as the lace.
The forage cap consists of blue cloth with black leather peak and
chin strap, black silk oak leaf pattern band, surmounted by a crown
embroidered in gold on the front. A shell jacket is also worn in undress,
and is the same as for infantry officers, the collar and cuffs of black
velvet.
The various ranks in the Medical Department are—
Director-General of the Army Medical Department, who ranks as Brigadier
until he has served three years in that rank, when he ranks as
Major-General. The latter rank is distinguished by inch lace round the
collar with a star at each end, whilst a crown and star in silver with
half-inch lace on the collar indicate the former rank.
A Deputy Inspector-General ranks as a Lieutenant-Colonel until he has
served five years, after which he ranks as a Colonel; he has the same
lace, with a crown at the end of the collar. This also is the dress of a
Surgeon-Major, who ranks as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army.
A Staff-Surgeon ranks as Major, and has half-inch lace round the top and
bottom of the collar, with a star in silver at each end.
An Assistant-Surgeon ranks as Lieutenant until he has served six years,
when he takes rank as Captain. He has the same lace on his collar as a
Staff-Surgeon, but has a crown only at each end.
All the Medical Staff who rank equal to or above a Major have two rows of
half-inch lace round the top of the cuff, whilst officers below that rank
have one row only bound on the cuff.
The officers equal to the rank of Major or above it have the badges of
their rank as a crown or star on their collar, whilst officers below that
rank have their collars plain. Thus the Medical Department generally may
be recognised by their cocked hats with black plume, the black belt,
and also by the buttons, which have V. R., with a crown, and “Medical
Department” written round.
With every regiment there are, besides the medical officers, a
Quartermaster and a Paymaster. The Quartermasters wear the dress of their
regiment, but wear also a cocked hat, this being the insignia of what is
termed the Staff of an Army, viz., of General Officers, Aides-de-Camp,
Surgeons, Quartermasters, Adjutant-Generals, &c. The Paymasters also wear
the dress of their regiments with cocked hats, the Quartermaster’s hat
having a white cock’s feather five inches long, mushroom shape, with red
underneath, whilst the Paymasters wear no feathers. The waist-belts are
black for both these departments.
In almost all the Cavalry Regiments, including the 1st and 2nd Life
Guards, the ranks are distinguished as follows—
All Field Officers have a row of embroidery round the collar and
cuffs, whilst those below that rank have none. A Full Colonel has a
crown and star in silver at each end of the collar, with embroidery; a
Lieutenant-Colonel a crown only, with embroidery; a Major, with star and
embroidery; a Captain, crown and star; Lieutenant, crown; Sub-Lieutenant,
star. The Veterinary Surgeon has a cocked hat with a red feather.
We next come to a long list of Staff Officers, among whom are Adjutant
and Quartermaster-Generals with their Deputies, Assistants and
Deputy-Assistants, Brigade Majors, Military Secretaries, Aides-de-Camp,
Staff of Garrisons, &c. The general principles of these dresses are the
same. The tunic is scarlet or blue, edged round with gold cord; on each
side of the breast four loops of the same cord with caps and drops.
The ranks of Staff Officers are distinguished by the knot on the cuff and
the crown and star. All the Staff wear the cocked hat, the general form
of feather being upright, with white and red swan feathers.
In many cases officers of the rank of General or Field-Marshal are
Colonels of particular regiments. The present Commander-in-Chief, for
example, being Colonel of the Royal Artillery. When this is the case, and
any duty specially concerning Artillery is carried on, it is usual for an
officer not to attend in the dress of a General or Field-Marshal but in
that of the Colonel of the regiment to which he belongs.
RANKS.
Next to Field-Marshals come Full Generals. After a General comes a
Lieutenant-General, and then a Major-General. The civilian usually makes
a mistake in the relative rank of these two officers; for as a Major is
higher in rank than a Lieutenant, so he considers a Major-General must
be higher than a Lieutenant-General. The principle by which to remember
this, however, is to deduct from General the prefix, and the remainder
indicates the rank thus, deducting Lieutenant from General we have a
larger remainder than if we deduct Major.
Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel come next; then Major, Captain, First
Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant, and Cornet or Ensign.
A Second Lieutenant takes precedence of a Cornet or Ensign.
These ranks being fixed and known, we can now compare the staff and
civil branches of the army with them. The great advantage of “rank” to
the civil branches is not merely the position, but the power of choosing
quarters in garrison, cabins on board ship, &c., before officers who
are junior in rank. No nominal rank allows any person except a regular
officer to have any military command; thus, if an Ensign were on board
ship with troops, as also an old Surgeon and Paymaster, the Ensign
would command the troops, though the Surgeon and Paymaster both rank as
Captains.
The following are the relative ranks of the Staff Officers named below:—
Paymasters Rank as Captains.
Surgeons Rank as Captains.
Assistant-Surgeons Rank as Lieutenants.
Veterinary Surgeons during the first
ten years of their service Rank as Cornets.
Ditto after ten years Rank as Lieutenants.
Ditto after twenty years Rank as Captains.
Quartermasters Rank as Lieutenants.
In the Medical Department there are various titles, each of which ranks
according to the following list:—
Inspector-General Ranks as Brigadier-General.
Deputy Inspector-General Ranks as Lieutenant-Colonel.
Staff Surgeon, 1st Class Ranks as Major.
Regimental Surgeon and Staff Surgeon,
2nd Class Ranks as Captain.
Apothecary Ranks as Captain, but junior
of that rank.
Assistant-Surgeon Ranks as Lieutenant.
Deputy Purveyor Ranks as Lieutenant.
Medical Clerk Ranks as Ensign.
COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT.
Commissary-General Ranks as Brigadier-General.
Deputy Commissary-General, if of
three years’ standing Ranks as Lieutenant-Colonel.
Ditto under three years’ standing Ranks as Major.
Assistant Commissary-General Ranks as Captain.
Deputy Assistant Commissary-General Ranks as Lieutenant.
Deputy Clerks Rank as Ensigns.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
Storekeepers, Barrackmasters of
1st Class Rank as Majors.
Deputy Storekeepers, Barrackmasters,
2nd Class Rank as Captains.
Barrackmasters of 3rd & 4th Class Rank as Lieutenants.
Clerks Rank as Ensigns.
Chaplains attached to Brigades rank as Majors, whilst those attached to
Regiments take rank as Captains.
RELATIVE RANKS OF ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS.
An Admiral of the Fleet Ranks with Field-Marshal of
the Army.
Admirals Rank with Generals.
Vice-Admirals Rank with Lieutenant-Generals.
Rear-Admirals Rank with Major-Generals.
Commodores Rank with Brigadier-Generals.
Captains after three years Rank with Colonels.
Captains during first three years Rank with Lieutenant-Colonels.
Commanders Rank with Majors.
Lieutenants, Masters, and Paymasters Rank with Captains.
Mates Rank with Lieutenants.
Midshipmen Rank with Ensigns.
The givers of dinners in country places where relative ranks are not well
understood may take a hint from this list, for they not unusually commit
a breach of etiquette in ceding the first honours to an army Major when
a navy Captain is present, being unaware that the latter is the officer
of the higher rank. It is not, of course, expected that every lady or
gentleman is to be a perambulating Army and Navy List, but a glance at
either publication and a comparison with the invitation list may often
prevent an officer from feeling snubbed—we having ourselves frequently
seen a grey-headed veteran naval Captain put on one side, whilst a young
army Major was requested to conduct the lady of the house from the
drawing-room; the reason assigned being that military and naval men were
so punctilious and scrupulous about ranks, and Major ranks above Captain.
In no case, however, can a naval officer command a military officer on
shore, or a military a naval officer at sea.
We next come to that valuable branch of the army termed the
Non-Commissioned Officers, and dealing first with the Cavalry we have the
following ranks:—
LIFE GUARDS AND HORSE GUARDS.
_Non-Commissioned Officers._
Schoolmasters.
Regimental Corporal-Major.
Quartermaster Corporal.
Corporal Instructor of Musketry.
Armourer-Corporal.
Saddler-Corporal.
Farrier-Majors.
Troop Corporal-Majors.
Bandmaster.
Trumpet-Major.
Corporals.
Corporal-Majors rank with Sergeant-Majors, and Corporals of the Life
Guards and Horse Guards rank with Sergeants of Cavalry and Infantry.
IN THE CAVALRY.
Schoolmaster.
Regimental Sergeant-Major.
Quartermaster-Sergeant.
Sergeant Instructor of Musketry.
Paymaster-Sergeant.
Sergeant-Armourer.
Sergeant-Sadler.
Farrier-Major.
Hospital Sergeant.
Bandmaster.
Troop Sergeant-Major.
Trumpet-Major.
Sergeants.
Corporals.
In the Royal Artillery there are as follows for each Brigade and Battery,
and each rank is distinguished by the following marks on the sleeve:—
[Illustration: Brigade Sergeant-Major and Brigadier
Quartermaster-Sergeant’s sleeve.
Battery Sergeant-Major’s and Quartermaster-Sergeant’s sleeve.
Farrier-Major’s sleeve. Horse-shoe on stripes.
Wheeler-Major’s sleeve.
Farrier-Sergeant.
Sergeant-Wheeler.
Sergeant and Staff-Clerk, 2nd and 3rd Class.
Bombardier.
Trumpeter.
Assistant-Instructor in Gunnery.
Trumpet-Major’s sleeve.
Collarmaker-Major’s sleeve. Bridle on stripes.
Orderly Room Sergeant, Staff-Clerk, Hospital-Sergeant, Paymaster-Sergeant.
Collarmaker-Sergeant.
Battery-Armourer.
Corporal.
Shoeing Smith.
Good Conduct Badge.]
It will be seen that the badges on the cuffs indicate a higher rank than
when placed on the arm above the elbow: thus for Brigade Sergeant-Major
and Orderly Room Sergeant the badge is the same; but one is on the cuff,
the other above the elbow.
A man whose conduct has been good, and who has not received any
punishment for a certain period, is granted a good conduct badge, which
entitles him to one penny a day. Some Soldiers have three or four of
these on their arm, but to distinguish these men from Sergeants, the
peak of the badge points upwards, whereas that of the Sergeants, &c. is
downwards.
The distinguishing marks for other branches of the army, although
not strictly the same as those given above, are yet sufficiently
alike to enable us to decide the rank and occupation of the various
non-commissioned officers that we meet.
We now come to the general dress of the various branches of the army,
commencing with the
LIFE GUARDS, who, when in full dress, wear a scarlet tunic, with polished
steel cuirass, steel helmet with a white plume, jack-boots and white
leather breeches. The farriers wear blue tunics and a black plume. The
HORSE GUARDS have a blue tunic, but in other respects the dress is the
same except the plume, which is red.
The seven regiments of DRAGOON GUARDS wear scarlet uniform (with the
exception of the 6th Dragoon Guards), brass helmets, with white horsehair
plumes.
The 6th Dragoon Guards wear a blue tunic, as also the 17th Lancers.
Other Lancer regiments wear blue jackets, and Hussars have blue tunics.
The trousers of all the cavalry are blue, except those already named as
having leather, and the 11th Hussars, whose overalls are crimson.
In head dresses, the HUSSARS wear a black low sable head dress like a
short bearskin, termed a “busby,” with plume and bag. The 2nd Dragoons
wear a bearskin cap with white hackle feather. The LANCERS wear a square
top black leather skull cap.
When cloaks are worn the 1st Life Guards wear a red cloak with blue cape;
2nd Life Guards scarlet cloak with blue cape; Horse Guards, blue with
scarlet collar. The remainder of the cavalry blue cloaks, with collars
the same as the facings of their regiment, which are as follows:—
REGIMENT. UNIFORM. FACINGS.
1st Dragoon Guards Scarlet Blue.
2nd ” ” Buff.
3rd ” ” Yellow.
4th ” ” Blue.
5th ” ” Dark Green.
6th ” Blue White.
7th ” Scarlet Black.
1st Dragoons ” Blue.
2nd ” ” ”
3rd ” Blue Blue.
4th ” ” ”
5th ” ” Scarlet.
6th ” Scarlet Yellow.
7th ” Blue Blue.
8th ” ” ”
9th ” ” Scarlet.
10th ” ” Blue.
11th ” ” Crimson overalls.
12th ” ” Scarlet.
13th ” ” Blue.
14th ” ” ”
15th ” ” ”
16th ” Scarlet ”
17th ” Blue White.
Madras 18th Hussars ” Blue.
Bengal 19th ” ” ”
” 20th ” ” ”
” 21st ” ” ”
THE ROYAL ARTILLERY.
The uniform for the Royal Artillery is dark blue with red facings.
The Horse Artillery wear a jacket in full dress; the Foot Artillery a
tunic. The jacket of the Horse Artillery is braided in front with yellow
horizontal stripes; the head dress is a black busby with white plume and
red bag (the full dress), and for undress a forage cap with gold band.
THE ROYAL ENGINEERS.
The Royal Engineers, or Sappers and Miners, as they are also called, wear
a red tunic or jacket with blue facings, Oxford mixture trousers with red
stripe; the head dress a fur busby of black seal skin, white plume, and
blue bag.
THE MILITARY TRAIN.
A dark blue tunic or jacket with white facings; shako of black cloth with
black horsehair plume, dark blue trousers with white stripe.
INFANTRY.
There are 109 regiments of Infantry, without the Rifle Brigade.
The uniform of each is as follows:—
Guards wear scarlet tunic single-breasted, black trousers with scarlet
welt, and black bearskin cap. The Grenadiers wear a white plume; the
Coldstreams a red plume; the Scots Fusiliers no plume.
THE LINE uniform consists of single-breasted red tunic, black trousers
with scarlet welt for winter, and dark blue trousers in summer; shako,
dark blue cloth with red and white ball tuft. Undress a jacket and forage
cap, the number of the regiment being in front of the cap.
RIFLES wear tunic and trousers of rifle green cloth.
LIGHT INFANTRY have the shako surmounted by a green horsehair plume
instead of the ball tuft; in other respects the uniform is the same.
_Fusiliers_ have a white horsehair plume instead of the ball tuft, except
the 5th, where the plume is red and white.
Five of the Highland Regiments wear the kilt, viz., the 42nd, 78th,
79th, 92nd, and 93rd. Three, viz., the 71st, 72nd, and 74th, the trews.
The kilted regiments, as also the 72nd, wear a bonnet of black ostrich
feathers, with tartan plaid skull, with white or red feather. The facings
of the regiments vary; a so-termed Royal Regiment having blue facings,
the others consist of different colours, yellow, white, red, buff, and
green being the variations.
_Commissariat._—The dress of this service consists of dark blue tunic,
blue velvet facings, dark blue trousers, red stripe, dark shako, and tuft.
The Medical Department wear scarlet tunic, black facings, blue trousers
with gold or red stripes, cocked hat and black plume.
The Army Hospital Corps wear dark blue with grey facings.
Among the extras to be seen in uniform in most garrison towns, are
Bandmasters, Bandsmen, Drummers, &c., and Schoolmasters.
The Bands of the Infantry have white tunics with regimental or scarlet
facings. The Bandmaster usually wears a black frock coat in undress, and
the regimental dress with gold in full dress.
Schoolmasters wear a blue frock coat with shoulder knots, crimson silk
sash, oilskin cap, black trousers in winter, blue serge in summer.
The Militia of Great Britain consists of Artillery and Infantry, and is
equipped in the same manner as is the regular army, except that the lace
is silver instead of gold, and the buttons white metal instead of brass.
In the present day, when soldiering is popular and when each town or
district sends forth its volunteers, we naturally see an endless display
of uniforms, some of which are difficult to identify. Taking, however,
the preceding remark about gold lace and silver, red and blue uniforms,
numbers on caps, &c., any non-military man may be able to form a very
good estimate of the branch of the service and the rank to which each
person belongs, a little practice being sufficient to soon train the eye
to mark the various peculiarities.
When regiments are formed on parade for reviews or any similar purpose,
they are usually placed in the order of their precedence. This order
being as follows:—
The Life and Horse Guards have the precedence of all other corps.
The Horse Artillery, whether mounted or dismounted, take the right of all
other cavalry.
The Cavalry always take the right of Infantry.
The Royal Artillery take the right of Infantry.
The Royal Engineers take rank next to the Royal Artillery.
The Foot Guards follow next to the Royal Engineers.
The Regiments of the line follow in the order of their number.
The Royal Marines take rank after the 49th Regiment, and the Rifle
Brigade after the 93rd.
When Militia regiments of different parts of the United Kingdom meet,
that regiment takes precedence which belongs to the county in which the
meeting occurs.
[Illustration]