Timeline of British Army ranks

Timeline of changes

Modern (2024) British army other ranks^[1]
NATO rank code	Rank name
OR-1	Private No Insignia
OR-2	Private (proficient)^{[note 1]} No Insignia
OR-3	Lance Corporal File:British Army OR-3.svg
OR-4	Corporal File:British Army OR-4.svg
OR-5	Sergeant File:British Army OR-6.svg
OR-6	Sergeant File:British Army OR-6.svg
OR-7	Staff Sergeant/Colour Sergeant (CQMS) File:British Army OR-7.svg
OR-8	Warrant Officer Class 2 (RQMS, CSM) File:British Army OR-8a.svgFile:British Army OR-8b.svg
OR-9	Warrant Officer Class 1 (RSM, Cdr, ASM) File:British Army OR-9a.svgFile:British Army OR-9b.svgFile:British Army OR-9c.svg

Modern (2024) British army officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-1b	Second Lieutenant File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-1a.svg
OF-1a	Lieutenant File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-1b.svg
OF-2	Captain File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-2.svg
OF-3	Major File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-3.svg
OF-4	Lieutenant colonel File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-4.svg
OF-5	Colonel File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-5.svg
OF-6	Brigadier File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-6.svg
OF-7	Major General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-7.svg
OF-8	Lieutenant General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-8.svg
OF-9	General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-9.svg
OF-10	Field Marshal^{[note 2]}File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-10.svg

1953 British Army other ranks^[2]
NATO rank code	Rank name
OR-1	Private No Insignia
OR-2	Private No Insignia
OR-3	Lance-Corporal File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-2.svg
OR-4	Corporal File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-3.svg
OR-5	Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-4.svg
OR-6	Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-4.svg
OR-7	Staff Sergeant/Colour Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-6.svg
OR-8	Quartermaster Sergeant/Warrant Officer Class 2 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-7.svgFile:British Army (1920-1953) OR-8.svg
OR-9b	Sergeant Major/Warrant Officer Class 1 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-9a.svg
OR-9a	Staff Sergeant Major/Conductor File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-9b.svg

1953 British army officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-1b	Second Lieutenant File:British Army OF-1a.svg
OF-1a	Lieutenant File:British Army OF-1b.svg
OF-2	Captain File:British Army OF-2.svg
OF-3	Major
OF-4	Lieutenant colonel File:British Army OF-4.svg
OF-5	Colonel File:British Army OF-5.svg
OF-6	Brigadier File:British Army OF-6.svg
OF-7	Major General File:British Army OF-7.svg
OF-8	Lieutenant General File:British Army OF-8.svg
OF-9	General File:British Army OF-9.svg
OF-10	Field Marshal File:British Army OF-10.svg

1947 British Army other ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OR-1	Private No Insignia
OR-2	Private No Insignia
OR-3	Lance-Corporal File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-2.svg
OR-4	Corporal File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-3.svg
OR-5	Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-4.svg
OR-6	Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-4.svg
OR-7	Staff Sergeant/ Colour Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-6.svg
OR-8b	Warrant Officer Class 3 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-7.svg
OR-8a	Quartermaster Sergeant/ Warrant Officer Class 2 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-8.svg
OR-9b	Sergeant Major/ Warrant Officer Class 1 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-9a.svg
OR-9a	Staff Sergeant Major/ Conductor File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-9b.svg

1947 British army officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-1b	Second Lieutenant File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-1a.svg
OF-1a	Lieutenant File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-1b.svg
OF-2	Captain File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-2.svg
OF-3	Major File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-3.svg
OF-4	Lieutenant colonel File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-4.svg
OF-5	Colonel File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-5.svg
OF-6	Brigadier File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-6.svg
OF-7	Major General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-7.svg
OF-8	Lieutenant General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-8.svg
OF-9	General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-9.svg
OF-10	Field Marshal File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-10.svg

1937 British Army other ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OR-1	Private No Insignia
OR-2	Private No Insignia
OR-3	Lance-Corporal File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-2.svg
OR-4	Corporal File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-3.svg
OR-5	Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-4.svg
OR-6	Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-4.svg
OR-7	Staff Sergeant/ Colour Sergeant File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-6.svg
OR-8	Quartermaster Sergeant/ Warrant Officer Class 2 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-7.svgFile:British Army (1920-1953) OR-8.svg
OR-9b	Sergeant Major/ Warrant Officer Class 1 File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-9a.svg
OR-9a	Staff Sergeant Major/ Conductor File:British Army (1920-1953) OR-9b.svg

1937 British army officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-1b	Second Lieutenant File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-1a.svg
OF-1a	Lieutenant File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-1b.svg
OF-2	Captain File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-2.svg
OF-3	Major File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-3.svg
OF-4	Lieutenant colonel File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-4.svg
OF-5	Colonel File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-5.svg
OF-6	Colonel Commandant/ Colonel on the Staff File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-6.svg
OF-7	Major General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-7.svg
OF-8	Lieutenant General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-8.svg
OF-9	General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-9.svg
OF-10	Field Marshal File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-10.svg

1920 British Army other ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OR-1	Private No Insignia
OR-2	Private No Insignia
OR-3	Lance-Corporal Singular point-down chevron
OR-4	Corporal Two point-down chevrons
OR-5	Sergeant Three point-down chevrons
OR-6	Sergeant Three point-down chevrons
OR-7	Colour-Sergeant Three point-down chevrons with a crown
OR-8	Company Sergeant-Major
OR-9	Warrant Officer/Regimental Sergeant-Major

1920 British army officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-1b	Second Lieutenant File:British Army (1902-1920) OF-1a.svg
OF-1a	Lieutenant File:British Army (1902-1920) OF-1b.svg
OF-2	Captain File:British Army (1902-1920) OF-2.svg
OF-3	Major File:British Army (1902-1920) OF-3.svg
OF-4	Lieutenant-Colonel File:British Army (1902-1920) OF-4.svg
OF-5	Colonel File:British Army (1902-1920) OF-5.svg
OF-6	Brigadier General File:British Army (1920-1922) OF-6.svg
OF-7	Major General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-7.svg
OF-8	Lieutenant General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-8.svg
OF-9	General File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-9.svg
OF-10	Field Marshal File:British Army (1920-1953) OF-10.svg

1902 British army officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-1b	Second Lieutenant File:British&Empire-Army-2Lt(1881-1902).svg
OF-1a	Lieutenant File:British&Empire-Army-Lt(1881-1902).svg
OF-2	Captain File:British&Empire-Army-Capt(1881-1902).svg
OF-3	Major File:British&Empire-Army-Maj(1881-1902).svg
OF-4	Lieutenant-Colonel File:British&Empire-Army-LtCol(1881-1902).svg
OF-5	Colonel File:British&Empire-Army-Col(1881-1902).svg
OF-6	Brigadier General File:Brigadier (OF-6) 1881-1905.gif
OF-7	Major General File:Major-General (OF-7) 1881-1905.gif
OF-8	Lieutenant General File:Lieutenant-General (OF-8) 1881-1905.gif
OF-9	General File:General (OF-9) 1881-1905.gif
OF-10	Field Marshal File:Field Marshal (OF-10) 1881-1905.gif

Old British system for General Officer ranks
NATO rank code	Rank name
OF-6	Colonel-General/ Brigadier-General
OF-7	Sergeant-Major-General^[3] Major-General
OF-8	Lieutenant-General
OF-9	Captain-General/General
OF-10	Marshal/Field Marshal

^Note 1 Private (proficient) is not a rank, but is used for pay grade instead

^Note 2 Field Marshal is currently an honorary rank

↑ "Ranks". The British Army. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
↑ "Wartime (WW2) Military Ranks Table". robdavistelford.co.uk. Rob Davis. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
↑ "Why is the Colonel called Kernal" (PDF). media.defense.gov. Raymond Oliver. Retrieved 15 April 2024.

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