British Army other ranks rank insignia

"Other ranks" (ORs) is the term used to refer to all ranks below officers in the British Army and the Royal Marines. It includes warrant officers, non-commissioned officers ("NCOs") and ordinary soldiers with the rank of private or regimental equivalent. Officers may, in speaking, distinguish themselves from those "in the ranks".

Ranks

British Army other ranks rank insignia
NATO code	OR-9		OR-8		OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Insignia										No insignia
Typical appointment[1]	Army sergeant major[i]	Regimental sergeant major[ii]	Regimental quartermaster sergeant[iii]	Squadron/battery/company sergeant major[iv]	Squadron/battery/company quartermaster sergeant[v]
Rank[2]	Warrant officer class 1[vi]		Warrant officer class 2[vii]		Staff/colour sergeant[viii]	Sergeant[ix]		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Abbreviation	WO1		WO2		SSgt/CSgt	Sgt		Cpl	LCpl	Pte

1. The appointments of:

   • army command sergeant major
   • command sergeant majors (including Royal Artillery sergeant major and the academy sergeant major, RMAS)
   • garrison sergeant major London district (royal arms on a four-bar chevron)
   • conductor, RLC (royal arms in a blue wreath)
   • master gunner, RA
2. The appointments of:

   • garrison sergeant major (except London district)
   • regimental corporal major
   • regimental sergeant major
   • staff sergeant major, RLC or AGC(SPS)
   • sergeant major
   • any other WO1 appointment on the establishment of a unit or corps e.g. artificer sergeant major, superintending draughtsman
3. The appointments of:

   • garrison quartermaster sergeant
   • regimental quartermaster corporal/sergeant
   • regimental quartermaster corporal/sergeant (technical)
   • staff quartermaster sergeant
   • quartermaster sergeant instructor
   • quartermaster sergeant
   • farrier quartermaster corporal/sergeant
4. The appointments of:

   • squadron corporal major
   • squadron, battery or company sergeant major
   • any other WO2 appointment on the establishment of a unit or corps e.g. warrant officer instructor, class 2 (physical training)
5. The appointments of:

   • squadron quartermaster corporal
   • squadron, battery or company quartermaster sergeant
   • colour sergeant or company quartermaster sergeant (foot guards and infantry)
   • any other staff sergeant appointment on the establishment of a unit e.g. clerk of works staff sergeant; staff sergeant instructor; artificer staff sergeant, bandmaster
6. Also the appointment of WO1 bandmaster
7. Also the appointments of WO2 bandmaster and WO2 bugle, drum, pipe or trumpet major
8. Also the appointments of staff sergeant rank bugle, drum, pipe or trumpet major
9. Also the appointments of:

   • sergeant rank bugle, drum, pipe or trumpet major
   • any other sergeant appointment on the establishment of a unit e.g. pioneer sergeant, sergeant instructor

Role

Rank	Typical command size or appointment[3]	Typical time taken for a promotion
Warrant officer class 1	Referred to individually by appointment. The most senior advisors to battalions and commanding officers. Responsible for the discipline and equipment of officers and soldiers.	18 years with an outstanding service record.
Warrant officer class 2	Referred to individually by appointment. A senior management role of squadrons, batteries and companies.	N/A
Staff/colour sergeant	Management role of a squadron, battery or company, or serves as platoon commander.	After a few years as a sergeant.
Sergeant	Second in command of a troop or platoon.	After serving for 12 years.
Corporal	Generally commands a section or a single tank.	After serving for 6–8 years.
Lance corporal	Second in command of a section, or leader of a fire team.	Finished phase 2 training or after 3 years as a private.
Private	No command.	Finished phase 1 training.

Variants

As most units in the British Army have long traditions (some dating as far back as the 1600s) some variation has developed in the terminology and insignia used for non-commissioned ranks, most notably in the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. Many units do not use the rank "Private", using instead:

• "Trooper" in many regiments with a cavalry tradition and in the Special Air Service
• "Airtrooper" in the Army Air Corps
• "Sapper" in the Royal Engineers
• "Craftsman" in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• "Guardsman" in the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, Welsh Guards and the London Guards
• "Gunner" in the Royal Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery
• "Fusilier" in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Royal Welsh and The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
• "Rifleman" in The Rifles and the Royal Gurkha Rifles
• "Kingsman" in the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
• "Signaller" in the Royal Signals
• "Ranger" in the Royal Irish Regiment, London Irish Rifles and the Ranger Regiment
• "Highlander" in The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
• "Drummer", "Trumpeter", "Bugler", "Piper" and "Musician" in various military bands and musicians in other units

The Royal Artillery and RHA also use the ranks Lance Bombardier and Bombardier instead of Lance Corporal and Corporal, while The Rifles use the spelling "Serjeant" in place of "Sergeant".

Foot Guards and Honourable Artillery Company

The Garrison Sergeant Major London District's badge of rank

Foot Guards and Honourable Artillery Company	Garrison sergeant major	Warrant officer class 1 (WO1)	Warrant officer class 2 (WO2)	Colour sergeant (CSgt)	Sergeant (Sgt)	Lance-sergeant ‡ (LSgt)	Lance corporal† (LCpl)	Guardsman, Private and Trooper
Full dress insignia			Warrant officer class 2s wear the ensign of their regiment above-crossed swords surmounted by a crown as their rank badge.	Colour sergeants in the full-dress have the ensign of their regiment above crossed swords in front of their chevrons.				None
Service dress insignia			Same as the standard insignia for WO2's.					None
Standard British Army rank	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant, Company quartermaster sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
† Lance corporals wear two chevrons rather than one (allegedly because Queen Victoria did not like the look of only one chevron)
‡ Corporals are automatically appointed lance sergeant, wearing three chevrons. In full dress, a lance sergeant's chevrons are white, while full sergeants are gold. In service dress, both lance sergeants and sergeants wear 3 chevrons. However, full sergeants also wear a red sash across their right shoulder. Additionally, the cap badge of a sergeant may differ from that of a lance sergeant. Lance sergeants are allowed privileges normally reserved for sergeants in the British Army.[4]

Household Cavalry

The Household Cavalry maintains the old cavalry tradition of having no rank of sergeant, which was originally an infantry rank only. It has its own peculiar set of insignia and ranks with the following equivalents:^[5]

Household Cavalry[6]	Regimental corporal major[7]	Regimental quartermaster corporal	Squadron corporal major[7]	Staff corporal Squadron quartermaster corporal[7][8]	Corporal of horse[9][10][11][7]	Lance-corporal of horse‡[7]	Lance corporal[9][7]	Trooper
Insignia†								None
Standard British Army rank	Warrant officer class 1	Quartermaster sergeant	Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant Company quartermaster sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
† The Household Cavalry's NCOs and warrant officers are the only soldiers in the British Army who do not wear rank insignia on their full dress uniforms (although officers do). Rank is indicated by the wearing of aiguillettes.
‡ A Lance Corporal of Horse is technically an appointment rather than a rank. Any new corporal in the Household Cavalry is immediately appointed a Lance Corporal of Horse (LCoH) on attaining the rank of corporal.[citation needed]

Similarly, warrant officer appointments are different, with, for example, "regimental corporal major" being used in place of regimental sergeant major. Uniquely, NCOs and warrant officers of the Household Cavalry do not wear any insignia on their full dress uniforms (although officers do). Rank is indicated by a system of aiguillettes.

Cavalry regiments

In several cavalry regiments including the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards and the Queen's Royal Hussars, NCOs holding the rank of lance corporal wear two stripes. Full corporals are distinguished by the addition of a cypher above their two stripes in dress uniforms.

Staff sergeants in an appointment as squadron quartermaster sergeant in the cavalry, sometimes wear four stripes with a crown and are referred to as "sergeant major". The term "mister" is confined to WO2s.

History

18th century–1881

During the 18th century corporals might indicate their ranks with a knot with cord loops on their right shoulder and, from 1768, an epaulette instead. Sergeants had clothing that was of slightly better quality and wore lace trim on their hats and uniforms.^[12] Infantry sergeants were armed with fusils (grenadier companies, from 1769), halberds or, from 1792 until 1830, with spontoons. They, as well as their counterparts in cavalry and artillery, were also permitted sashes of crimson wool, with a single stripe of facing colour following the clothing regulations of 1727. Whereas it remained vague as to whether the sash was to be worn over the shoulder or around the waist, it was clarified in 1747 that sergeants had to wear their sashes around the waist.^[13] From 1768, the sergeant's waist sash had stripes of facing colour  – one (until 1825) resp. three (until 1845); in regiments with red or purple facings the sergeant's sash had white stripes or remained plain crimson.^[14] Sergeants of highland regiments wore their sashes over the left shoulder and tied at the right hip in the same manner as the officers.^[15]: 357 Beginning from the same year, sergeants wore a pair of silk epaulettes with fringe while sergeant majors had a pair of gold or silver laced epaulettes with bullion fringe.^[15]: 358

Sergeant major

Colour sergeant

Sergeant

Corporal

Lance corporal

Rank insignia from 1802 to 1855

The chevrons worn by many non-commissioned officers are based on heraldic devices and their current use originates from 1802. As today, sergeants wore three chevrons, point downwards, on the upper arm, and corporals wore two, with sergeant majors and quartermaster sergeants then having four. Whereas corporals and sergeants discarded their silk epaulettes by now, sergeant majors continued to wear their metal epaulettes along with their new chevrons for a while. Lance corporal, at the time, not a rank but an appointment is historically known as chosen man and carrying extra pay for privates holding it, were given a single chevron a few years later, and later in the century, the lance sergeant appeared, wearing three chevrons. The infantry rank of colour sergeant was created in 1813 as a reward for senior sergeants with one allowed per company. He was allowed to wear a badge consisting of a regimental colour supported by two crossed swords.^[16] All insignia were worn on the right sleeve.

1881–1915

Badges of rank published in an 1883 boys' magazine. Appointments varied by branch (cavalry, artillery, engineers and infantry) but shared common ranks and insignia.

The 1881 Childers Reforms reorganised the regiments and battalions of the British Army. 1881 also saw a series of regulations and amendments which sought to standardise and simplify the badges of rank for both officers and other ranks which had grown in complexity since 1802.^[17] In 1881 the other ranks consisted of warrant officers; staff sergeants, 1st class; staff sergeants, 2nd class; sergeants; corporals (including the appointment of lance sergeant); bombardiers (in the artillery) and 2nd corporals (in the Royal Engineers and Army Ordnance Corps); privates of various titles (including the appointments of lance corporal and acting bombardier); and boys. However, although there were only eight categories of rank, there remained a wide range of appointments. The way in which badges were worn was also standardised. Badges of rank were to be worn only on the right arm, with four-bar chevrons to point up with the point below the elbow, and one, two or three bar chevrons to point down with the point above the elbow. All badges and chevrons were to be of gold lace, except for some rank badges in the line infantry, the Army Hospital Corps and the rifle regiments. Rifle regiment NCOs wore worsted and silk badges and chevrons, whilst other line infantry NCOs wore gold for the ranks above sergeant and white for those ranks below colour sergeant.^[17]

Initially, the only warrant officers were conductors of supplies and conductors of stores. They did not have a badge of rank but wore a different uniform to other ranks. The lesser rank of regimental sergeant major initially wore a four-bar chevron pointing up beneath a crown. However, reforms later in 1881 raised several appointments of the staff sergeant, 1st class, rank to warrant officer rank, including master gunners, 1st and 2nd class, regimental sergeant majors, bandmasters and several technical NCOs. In 1882 their badge of rank was changed to a large imperial crown in the style of St Edward's Crown. Master gunners also wore a gun below the crown, and bandmasters (except the Royal Artillery bandmaster who had a special badge) wore gold engineer knots instead of the crown.^[17]

Regimental quartermaster sergeants remained staff sergeants, 1st class, and their badge of rank was four chevrons pointing upwards topped by an eight-pointed star. Staff sergeants, 2nd class, included troop sergeant majors (in cavalry troops); battery sergeant majors and battery quartermaster sergeants (in the artillery); and company sergeant majors and colour sergeants (in infantry companies). Their badge of rank was three downward pointing chevrons below an imperial crown. Around the same time, trumpet majors, drum majors, bugle majors and pipe majors were reduced from staff sergeant, 2nd class, to sergeant rank, and their titles accordingly changed to sergeant trumpeter, sergeant drummer, sergeant bugler and sergeant piper. Their titles would not be restored to the -major style until 1928. Sergeants/lance sergeants, corporals, and 2nd corporals/bombardiers/lance corporals continued to wear a three-bar, two-bar and one-bar chevron respectively. Privates (and their equivalents) and boys continued to wear no badges of rank.^[17]

In 1887, warrant officer bandmasters adopted a lyre below a crown as their badge of rank, and troop sergeant majors in the cavalry were redesignated as squadron sergeant majors in the 1890s. In 1901 conductors of supplies/stores, formerly without a badge of rank, adopted a crown in a wreath. Warrant officer staff sergeant majors in the Army Pay Corps followed in 1904, whilst sub-conductors in the Army Ordnance Corps took the crown as their badge of rank. With the accession of Edward VII in 1901, he selected a Tudor Crown design to replace all other crown designs in use, and in 1902 khaki service dress was adopted, with badges of rank to be worn on both arms on service dress from 1904. By 1907, both brass and worsted badges of rank were being worn on service dress. Army order 323 of October 1913 reorganised infantry battalions from eight companies to four, leaving two colour sergeants in each new company. In 1914, the senior of the pair was appointed to the new appointment of company sergeant major and the junior to that of company quartermaster sergeant.^[17]

1915–present

A German chart issued in 1941 showing both commissioned and non-commissioned officer ranks

The next major reforms after 1881 took place in 1915. Warrant officers were divided into two classes: class I and II (styled in roman numerals until the second half of the twentieth century), and many more NCOs were promoted to warrant officer rank. Staff sergeants, 1st class, in the appointment of regimental quartermaster sergeant, and staff sergeants, 2nd class, in the appointment of squadron/battery/troop/company sergeant major, were promoted to warrant officer class II. Under army order 174 of 1915, their badge of rank became the imperial crown as worn by regimental sergeant majors up to this point. Regimental sergeant majors (and equivalent appointments) were made warrant officers class I and were ordered to wear the royal arms as their badge of rank. Conductors, Army Ordnance Corps (formerly styled conductors of stores), and staff sergeant majors, 1st class, Army Service Corps and Army Pay Corps (formerly styled conductors of supplies) continued to wear a crown in a wreath, along with master gunners, 1st class, and schoolmasters, 1st class. In all cases, the badge was worn below the elbow. By the end of the First World War, all staff sergeants, 1st class, had been promoted to the WOII rank, thus ending that class of rank. Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster sergeants remained at the staff/colour sergeant rank, formerly staff sergeant, 2nd class.^[17]

There were further changes to the badges of warrant officers in both classes under army order 309 of 1918. Those warrant officers, class I, using the crown in a wreath were ordered to adopt the royal arms in a wreath. WOII quartermasters (which had formerly been of a higher rank than company level sergeant majors before the 1915 reforms) adopted the crown in a wreath, whilst WOII squadron/battery/troop/company sergeant majors retained the crown as their badge of rank.^[17]

In 1920 the ranks of bombardier and 2nd corporal were abolished, and corporals in the Royal Artillery were restyled as bombardiers. The rank of 2nd corporal was replaced by the appointments of lance corporal and lance bombardier. In 1928 sergeant trumpeters, sergeant drummers, sergeant buglers and sergeant pipers were restored to their pre-1881 titles of trumpet majors, drum majors, bugle majors and pipe majors.^[17]

A short lived reform was introduced in 1938 when a third class of warrant officer was introduced. The role platoon/troop commander, normally filled by a lieutenant or second lieutenant, was made available for experience NCOs in the new appointment of platoon/troop sergeant major with the rank of warrant officer class III.^[18] Their badge of rank was an imperial crown, whilst those warrant officers, class II, who had formerly worn the crown were ordered to wear the crown in a wreath, the same badge worn by WOII quartermaster sergeants. The rank of WOIII was placed in suspension in 1940, and in 1947 WOII ranks were ordered to return the their pre-1938 badges of rank.^[17]

Following the accession of Elizabeth II in 1952, the Tudor Crown design used on rank badges was replaced by a St Edward's Crown design in 1953.^[19] It returned to a Tudor Crown design with the accession of Charles III in 2022.^[20][21]

The grades of lance sergeant and lance corporal were not strictly ranks but were appointments, held by selected corporals and privates, and usually carrying extra pay. The appointment was made by the man's commanding officer and could be taken away by him for disciplinary reasons, unlike full sergeants and corporals who could only be demoted by order of a court martial. In 1961 the ranks of lance corporal and lance bombardier were made substantial ranks rather than appointments, whilst the appointment of lance sergeant was discontinued in 1946, except in the Foot Guards and Honourable Artillery Company (and its equivalent, lance corporal of horse, in the Household Cavalry).

Spelling

The spelling serjeant is sometimes seen. This was the official spelling in the British Army and Royal Marines, although not the Royal Air Force, until the 1930s and appeared in such publications as King's Regulations and the Pay Warrant, which defined the various ranks. In common usage, the modern spelling sergeant was already more usual, as in the volumes of the Official History which began to appear in the 1920s. Serjeant-at-Arms is a title still held by members of the security staff in the Houses of Parliament. The old spelling is also retained by The Rifles, as successor to the Royal Green Jackets and The Light Infantry, which also used it.^[22]

Timeline of changes

Rank group	Senior NCOs																								Junior NCOs						Enlisted
1802–1855																															No insignia
							Serjeant-major		Colour-serjeant				Serjeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
1855–1880																															No insignia
							Serjeant-major		Colour-serjeant				Serjeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
1881–1901[17]	No insignia																														No insignia
	Conductor of supplies/stores[a]						Regimental serjeant-major[b]		Regimental quartermaster-serjeant[c]		Troop/battery serjeant-major[d] Troop/battery quartermaster-serjeant	Colour-serjeant[e]
	Warrant officer[f]								Staff-serjeant, 1st class		Staff-serjeant, 2nd class		Serjeant[g]												Corporal				2nd corporal/ bombardier/ lance corporal[h]		Private (or equivalent)				Boy
1901–1902[17]																															No insignia
	Conductor A.O.C. Staff serjeant-major, 1st class						Regimental serjeant-major[b]		Regimental quartermaster-serjeant		Squadron/battery/troop serjeant-major[i] Squadron/battery/troop quartermaster-serjeant	Colour-serjeant[e]
	Warrant officer[f]								Staff-serjeant, 1st class		Staff-serjeant, 2nd class		Serjeant[g]												Corporal				2nd corporal/ bombardier/ lance corporal[h]		Private (or equivalent)				Boy
1902–1914[17]																															No insignia
	Conductor A.O.C. Staff serjeant-major, 1st class						Regimental serjeant-major[b]		Regimental quartermaster-serjeant		Colour-serjeant[e] Squadron/battery/troop serjeant-major Squadron/battery/troop quartermaster-serjeant
	Warrant officer[f]								Staff-serjeant, 1st class		Staff-serjeant, 2nd class		Serjeant[g]												Corporal				2nd corporal/ bombardier/ lance corporal[h]		Private (or equivalent)				Boy
1914–1915[17]																															No insignia
	Conductor A.O.C. Staff serjeant-major, 1st class						Regimental serjeant-major[j]		Regimental quartermaster-serjeant		Squadron/battery/troop/company serjeant-major Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster-serjeant
	Warrant officer[f]								Staff-serjeant, 1st class		Staff-serjeant, 2nd class		Serjeant[g]												Corporal				2nd corporal/ bombardier/ lance corporal[h]		Private (or equivalent)				Boy
1915–1918[17]																															No insignia
	Conductor A.O.C.[k]			Regimental serjeant-major[l]			Squadron/battery/troop/company serjeant-major Regimental quartermaster-serjeant[m]		Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster-serjeant
	Warrant officer class I[n]						Warrant officer class II[o]		Staff/colour-serjeant				Serjeant[g]												Corporal				2nd corporal/ bombardier/ lance corporal[h]		Private (or equivalent)
1918–1920[17]																															No insignia
	Conductor R.A.O.C.[p]			Regimental serjeant-major[q]			Regimental quartermaster-serjeant[r]	Squadron/battery/troop/company serjeant-major[s]	Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster-serjeant
	Warrant officer class I[t]						Warrant officer class II		Staff/colour-serjeant				Serjeant[g]												Corporal				2nd corporal/ bombardier/ lance corporal[h]		Private (or equivalent)
1920–1938[17]																															No insignia
	Conductor R.A.O.C.			Regimental sergeant-major			Regimental quartermaster-sergeant	Squadron/battery/troop/company sergeant-major	Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster-sergeant
	Warrant officer class I						Warrant officer class II		Staff/colour-sergeant				Sergeant[g]												Corporal/ bombardier				Lance corporal/ lance bombardier[u]		Private (or equivalent)
1938–1947[23]																															No insignia
	Conductor R.A.O.C.			Regimental sergeant-major			Regimental quartermaster-sergeant Squadron/battery/troop/company sergeant-major	Platoon/troop/section sergeant-major	Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster-sergeant
	Warrant officer class I						Warrant officer class II	Warrant officer class III[v]	Staff/colour-sergeant				Sergeant[w]												Corporal/ bombardier				Lance corporal/ lance bombardier[u]		Private (or equivalent)
1947–1953																															No insignia
	Conductor R.A.O.C.			Regimental sergeant-major			Regimental quartermaster-sergeant	Squadron/battery/troop/company sergeant-major	Squadron/battery/troop/company quartermaster-sergeant
	Warrant officer class I						Warrant officer class II[v]		Staff/colour-sergeant				Sergeant												Corporal/ bombardier				Lance corporal/ lance bombardier[u]		Private (or equivalent)
1953–2015																															No insignia
	Conductor RAOC[x]			Regimental sergeant major			Regimental quartermaster sergeant	Squadron/battery/company sergeant major	Squadron/battery/company quartermaster sergeant
	Warrant officer class I/1						Warrant officer class II/2		Staff/colour sergeant				Sergeant												Corporal/ bombardier				Lance corporal/ lance bombardier[u]		Private (or equivalent)
2015–2022																															No insignia
	Army sergeant major[y]			Regimental sergeant major[z]			Regimental quartermaster sergeant[aa]	Squadron/battery/company sergeant major[ab]	Squadron/battery/company quartermaster sergeant[ac]
	Warrant officer class 1[ad]						Warrant officer class 2[ae]		Staff/colour sergeant[af]				Sergeant[ag]												Corporal/ bombardier				Lance corporal/ lance bombardier		Private (or equivalent)
2022–Present																															No insignia
	Army sergeant major[y]			Regimental sergeant major[z]			Regimental quartermaster sergeant[aa]	Squadron/battery/company sergeant major[ab]	Squadron/battery/company quartermaster sergeant[ac]
	Warrant officer class 1[ad]						Warrant officer class 2[ae]		Staff/colour sergeant[af]				Sergeant[ag]												Corporal/ bombardier				Lance corporal/ lance bombardier		Private (or equivalent)
NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7				OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1

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). In the technical corps, a WO2 can also be an AQMS (Artificer Quartermaster Sergeant), TQMS (Technical .....), or SQMS (Squadron ... )
• Warrant officer class III: a short-lived rank used between 1938 and 1940, holding the appointment of platoon sergeant major, troop sergeant major, or section sergeant major.
• Colour sergeant: gave way to staff sergeant over the years before the First World War although colour sergeant exists today in the Royal Marines, 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.^[4]
• Second corporal: Royal Engineers and Army Ordnance Corps rank until 1920, equivalent to lance-corporal but a substantive instead of an acting rank.
• Bombardier: until 1920, when it became equivalent to corporal, a rank in the Royal Artillery equivalent to a second corporal.
• Acting bombardier: appointment originally given to a Royal Artillery gunner acting in the rank of bombardier, discontinued in 1918 and replaced by lance-bombardier.
• Chosen man: was a rank primarily found in the Rifle Brigade denoting a marksman and/or leadership material. Became lance corporal in the early 19th century.

See also

• British Army
• British and United States military ranks compared
• British Army officer rank insignia
• British Army uniform
• Other ranks (UK)
• Ranks of the cadet forces of the United Kingdom
• List of roles in the British Army

Notes

1. Initially, conductors of supplies (Commissariat and Transport Corps) and conductors of stores (Ordnance Store Corps) wore a different uniform to other ranks, rather than a rank badge.
   They were renamed 'conductor A.S.C.' and conductor O.S.C.' in 1889. In 1892 the appointment of conductor A.S.C. was replaced by staff serjeant-major, 1st class, whilst in 1896 the conductor O.S.C. became conductor A.O.C. when the corps was renamed.^[17]
2. Unlike the cavalry and artillery (which had both regimental serjeant-majors and squadron/battery serjeant-majors), there was only one rank in each infantry battalion with the title 'serjeant-major' and no company serjeant-majors until 1914. Therefore, until 1914 this post was called simply 'serjeant-major' in the infantry rather than 'regimental serjeant-major'.
3. Also of this rank, the staff serjeants, 1st class, supporting the conductors of supplies/stores which were promoted to staff serjeant-majors (of warrant officer rank) in 1889. The staff serjeant-major O.S.C. was retitled 'sub-conductor A.O.C.' in 1896.
4. Artillery NCOs wore a gun between the crown and chevrons, and engineers a grenade.^[17]
5. Colour-serjeants in the infantry only. The equivalent post in the cavalry, engineers and artillery branches was troop/battery serjeant-major. A colour-serjeant's insignia was used on full dress only. On other garments and on service dress introduced in 1902, a crown above 3 chevrons was used.^[17]
6. The warrant sfficer rank also included master gunners class 1 and 2, bandmasters and various technical NCOs.^[17]
7. Until 1946, corporals could be appointed lance sergeant, though this was an appointment rather than a substantive rank.^[17] The appointment continues in the foot guards and the Honourable Artillery Company.
   
   In 1881 the posts of trumpet-major, drum-major, bugle-major and pipe-major were reduced from staff serjeant 2nd class to serjeant rank and renamed serjeant-trumpeter, serjeant-drummer, serjeant-bugler and serjeant-piper. Their '-major' titles were restored in 1928.^[17]
8. Until 1961, lance corporal was an appointment for privates (and equivalent ranks) rather than a substantive rank.
9. In the 1890s troop serjeant-major was redesignated squadron serjeant-major in cavalry regiments.^[17]
10. With the introduction of company serjeant-majors to the infantry in 1914, infantry battalions adopted the title 'regimental serjeant-major' for this post (rather than simply 'serjeant-major' as before), in line with the title already used by the cavalry and artillery. Although the post was at infantry battalion rather than regimental level, the title 'battalion serjeant-major' has never been used.
11. Also the appointments of:

    • Staff serjeant-major, 1st class, Army Service Corps and Army Pay Corps
    • Master gunner, 1st class (crown, wreath and gun)
    • Schoolmaster, 1st class
12. Also the appointments of:

    • Sub-conductor, A.O.C.
    • Master gunner, 2nd class (royal arms and gun)
    • Garrison serjeant-major
    • Schoolmaster
    • Regimental serjeant-major
    • Farrier-corporal-major (royal arms and horseshoe)
    • Farrier-serjeant-major (royal arms and horseshoe)
    • Serjeant-major R.A.M.C. (royal arms and Geneva cross)
    • Serjeant-major, gymnastic staff (royal arms and crossed swords)
    • Serjeant-major, School of Musketry (royal arms and crossed rifles)
13. Also the appointments of:

    • Master gunner, 3rd class (crown and gun)
    • Schoolmaster
    • Garrison quartermaster-serjeant
    • Quartermaster-corporal-major
    • Regimental quartermaster-serjeant (including crossed rifles for the School of Musketry and a Geneva cross for the R.A.M.C.)
    • Squadron corporal-major
    • Squadron serjeant-major
    • Battery serjeant-major
    • Troop serjeant-major
    • Company serjeant-major
14. Also the appointment of bandmaster which used a special badge, except in the Household Cavalry and foot guards.
15. When the warrant officer rank was split into two classes in 1915, existing warrant officers became WOI while the majority of the staff serjeant class 1 and 2 rank (including company level serjeant-majors but not company level quartermaster-serjeants) were made WOII. By the end of the First World War, all staff serjeants 1st class had been promoted to the WOII rank.^[17]
16. Also the appointments of:

    • Staff serjeant-major, 1st class
    • Schoolmaster, 1st class
    • Master gunner, 1st class (royal arms, wreath and gun)
17. Also the appointments of:

    • Master gunner, 2nd class (royal arms and gun)
    • Armourer serjeant-major, fitter serjeant-major and armament serjeant-major (royal arms and crossed hammer and pincers)
    • Saddler serjeant-major (royal arms and bit)
    • Farrier corporal-major and farrier serjeant-major (royal arms and horse shoe)
    • Wheeler serjeant-major (royal arms and wheel)
    • Serjeant-major, R.A.M.C. (royal arms and Geneva cross)
    • Serjeant-major, School of Musketry (royal arms and crossed rifles)
    • Serjeant-major, Army Gymnastic Staff (royal arms and crossed swords)
    • Serjeant-major, School of Gunnery (royal arms and crossed guns)
    • Serjeant-major, Army Signal School (royal arms and crossed flags)
    • All other warrant officers, class I
18. Also the appointments of:

    • Master gunner, 3rd class (crown, wreath and gun)
    • Armourer quartermaster-serjeant, Smith quartermaster serjeant, fitter quartermaster-serjeant and armament quartermaster serjeant (crown, wreath and crossed hammer and pincers)
    • Farrier quartermaster-corporal and farrier quartermaster-serjeant (crown, wreath and horseshoe)
    • Laboratory quartermaster-serjeant and quartermaster-serjeant instructor in gunnery (crown, wreath and crossed guns)
    • Quartermaster-serjeant instructor and quartermaster-serjeant, School of Musketry (crown, wreath and crossed rifles)
    • Quartermaster-serjeant, Army Gymnastic Staff (crown, wreath and crossed swords)
    • Sadler quartermaster-corporal and sadler quartermaster-serjeant (crown, wreath and bit)
    • Wheeler quartermaster-serjeant (crown, wreath and wheel)
    • Quartermaster-serjeant, Army Signal School (crown, wreath and crossed flags)
    • Quartermaster-serjeant, R.A.M.C. (crown, wreath and Geneva Cross)
    • Schoolmaster
    • Quartermaster-corporal-major
    • All other quartermaster-serjeants WOII
19. Also the appointments of:

    • Battery or company serjeant-major instructor in gunnery (crown and crossed guns)
    • Company serjeant-major instructor in gymnastics, squadron corporal-major instructor in feeding and squadron serjeant-major instructor in gymnastics and fencing (crown and crossed swords)
    • Company serjeant-major, School of Musketry, company serjeant-major instructor in musketry, squadron corporal-major instructor in musketry and squadron serjeant-major instructor in musketry (crown and crossed rifles)
    • Company serjeant-major, Army Signal School (crown and crossed flags)
    • Squadron corporal-major roughrider and squadron serjeant-major roughrider (crown and spur)
    • Squadron corporal-major
    • Squadron serjeant-major
    • Battery serjeant-major
    • Troop serjeant-major
    • Company serjeant-major
20. Also the appointment of bandmaster which used a special badge.
21. Until 1961, lance corporal and lance bombardier were appointments for privates and gunners respectively rather than substantive ranks.
22. Appointments to warrant officer class III were suspended in 1940. In 1947, warrant officers class II reverted to their badges of rank from before the introduction of the wrrant officer class III rank.^[17]
23. Until 1946, corporals could be appointed lance-sergeant, though this was an appointment rather than a substantive rank.^[17] The appointment continues in the foot guards and the Honourable Artillery Company.
24. The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was merged with other corps to become the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993. The equivalent rank of staff sergeant major, 1st class, was discontinued when the Royal Army Service Corps was disbanded in 1965.
25. The appointments of:

    • Army command sergeant major
    • Command sergeant majors (including Royal Artillery sergeant major and the academy sergeant major, RMAS)
    • Garrison sergeant major London district (royal arms on a four-bar chevron)
    • Conductor, RLC (royal arms in a blue wreath)
    • Master gunner, RA
26. The appointments of:

    • Garrison sergeant major (except London district)
    • Regimental corporal major
    • Regimental sergeant major
    • Staff sergeant major, RLC or AGC(SPS)
    • Sergeant major
    • Any other WO1 appointment on the establishment of a unit or corps e.g. artificer sergeant major, superintending draughtsman
27. The appointments of:

    • Garrison quartermaster sergeant
    • Regimental quartermaster corporal/sergeant
    • Regimental quartermaster corporal/sergeant (technical)
    • Staff quartermaster sergeant
    • Quartermaster sergeant instructor
    • Quartermaster sergeant
    • Farrier quartermaster corporal/sergeant
28. The appointments of:

    • Squadron corporal major
    • Squadron, battery or company sergeant major
    • Any other WO2 appointment on the establishment of a unit or corps e.g. warrant officer instructor, class 2 (physical training)
29. The appointments of:

    • Squadron quartermaster corporal
    • Squadron, battery or company quartermaster sergeant
    • Colour sergeant or company quartermaster sergeant (foot guards and infantry)
    • Any other staff sergeant appointment on the establishment of a unit e.g. clerk of works staff sergeant; staff sergeant instructor; artificer staff sergeant, bandmaster
30. Also the appointment of WO1 bandmaster
31. Also the appointments of WO2 bandmaster and WO2 bugle, drum, pipe or trumpet major
32. Also the appointments of staff sergeant rank bugle, drum, pipe or trumpet major
33. Also the appointments of:

    • Sergeant rank bugle, drum, pipe or trumpet major
    • Any other sergeant appointment on the establishment of a unit e.g. pioneer sergeant, sergeant instructor