British Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
Lance Corporal
The lowest Non commissioned Rank. The origin of the rank of Lance Corporal derives from an amalgamation of corporal with the now-archaic lancepesade, formerly an NCO of the lowest rank. This in turn derives from the Italian lanzia spezzata, which literally means "broken lance" or "broken spear", but which was used to denote a seasoned soldier (the broken spear being a metaphor for combat experience, where such an occurrence was likely).
Corporal
Corporal (Cpl) is the second rank of non-commissioned officer in the British Army falling between Lance Corporal and Sergeant. The badge of rank is a two-bar chevron (also known as "stripes" ). A corporal's role varies between regiments, but in the standard infantry role a corporal commands a section. A common nickname for a corporal is a "full screw".
ORIGIN Italian
caporale, probably from Latin
corpus ‘body (of troops)’.
Sergeant
The Sergeants (Sgt) of the British Army wear three point-down chevrons on their sleeves and usually serve as platoon or troop sergeants, or in specialist positions.
ORIGIN originally in the senses servant and common soldier: from Old French
sergent, from Latin
servire ‘serve’.
Colour/Staff Sergeant
The Colour/Staff Sergeant ranks above Sergeant and below Warrant Officer Class 2. Historically, Colour Sergeants of British line regiments were tasked to protect Ensigns who were responsible for carrying their battalions' Colours (flag or insignia). For this reason the Colour Sergeant rank was considered a prestigious one given normally to courageous Sergeants who had attained accomplishments in battles. This tradition continues nowadays as Colour Sergeants form part of a Colour Party in military parades.
Warrant Officer Class 2
WO2s wear a crown on the lower sleeve. Warrant officers were generally introduced throughout the British Army in 1915, although Regimental Sergeant Majorsand a few other appointments had been warranted before that time.
Warrant Officer Class 2 (Quartermaster Sergeant)
Warrant Officer Class 2 (Quartermaster Sergeant) wear a crown on the lower sleeve surrounded by a wreath for Quartermaster Sergeant
Warrant Officer Class 1
Warrant Officer Class 1 (abbreviated WO1) is the highest non-commissioned rank in the British Army. It ranks immediately above Warrant Officer Class 2.
British Army Officer Rank Insignia
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant is the lowest Commissioned Rank in the British Army. The rank 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 Engineers and Fusilier regiments.
Lieutenant
The word lieutenant derives from French; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position; and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position.
Captain
Captain is the rank of a commissioned officer that is a rank above a Lieutenant and below a Major.
ORIGIN Old French
capitain ‘chief’, from Latin
caput ‘head’
Major
Major is a military rank denoting an officer of mid-level command status. It is usually immediately superior to the rank of Captain and immediately subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
ORIGIN Latin, comparative of
magnus ‘great’.
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the army ranking above a Major and below a Colonel.
Colonel
Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. The rank of Colonel is one of the oldest in existence, dating as far back to the time of the Roman Empire.
ORIGIN from Italian
colonnello ‘column of soldiers’.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a rank in the British Army ranking above Colonel and immediately below Major-General. It was introduced in the British Army in 1928 to replace the short-lived appointment of Colonel-Commandant that had replaced the rank of Brigadier-General in 1922.
Major General
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 a Lieutenant General and senior to a Brigadier General.
Lieutenant General
A Lieutenant General ranks immediately below a General and above a Major General. Lieutenant General is a military rank used in almost every country in the world. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, normally subordinate to a Captain General.
General
A General is an officer of high military rank.
ORIGIN Latin
generalis, from
genus ‘class, race, kind’. The rank of General began appearing around the time of the organization of professional armies in the 17th Century.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is the highest military rank of the United Kingdom. The origin of Field Marshals dates to the early Middle Ages, or
