Infantry Officer Ranks

1837-1901

Steve's Uniform Pages

Ranks and Insignia for Infantry Officers through out the Victorian Era

British Army officer rank insignia - Origins

From medieval times, devices such as pennants and shield patterns through to the full development of heraldry had been used to identify very senior ranks such as the monarch or other leaders of armies. With no nationally organised army, such practises were largely a matter of personal choice and contemporary protocol. More formal military structures evolved out of such developments as Cromwell's New Model Army formed in 1645.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, rank was generally denoted by the quantity of lace and through other decoration used on uniforms. While a crossed sword and baton device was already used by generals by 1800, the different grades of general were only distinguished by the grouping of the buttons on their coats until the Crimean War.

The following images have been copied from the book 'The Thin Red Line' with the kind Permission of Bryan Fosten.

1856-1867

	Sub-Officers Ensign Collar: One Star One line of 1/2 inch braid Cuff: One line of 1/2 inch braid	Badges for field officers were first introduced in 1810, and for captains and subaltern officers in 1855. 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). The star or 'pip' is that of the Order of the Bath, except in the Household regiments. The Life Guards, Blues and Royals, Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards and Welsh Guards use the star of the Order of the Garter, the Scots Guards that of the Order of the Thistle, and the Irish Guards that of the Order of St Patrick. The Crown has varied in the past, with the King's Imperial Crown being used from 1910 until it was replaced by the St Edward's Crown from the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. All officers' badges on service dress were originally of gilding metal, except for Rifle regiments and the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, which used bronze instead. A variety of alternative materials and prints have been used on various styles of dress. During the period of 1856-1867 the Rank was denoted using Collar badges and Cuff braiding insignia
	Lieutenant Collar: One Crown One line of 1/2 inch braid Cuff: One line of 1/2 inch braid
	Captain Collar: One Star and One Crown One line of 1/2 inch braid Cuff: One line of 1/2 inch braid
	Sub-Officers rear skirt detail
	Field Officers Major Collar: One Star Two lines of 1/2 inch braid Cuff: Two lines of 1/2 inch braid
	Lt Colonel Collar: One Crown Two lines of 1/2 inch braid Cuff: Two lines of 1/2 inch braid
	Colonel Collar: One Star and One Crown Two lines of 1/2 inch braid Cuff: Two lines of 1/2 inch braid
	Field Officers rear skirt detail

1868-1880

	Ensign/ Sub Lieutenant Collar: One Star One line of 1/2 inch braid	Until 1871 the lowest commissioned rank was the Ensign in the Infantry and Cornet in the Cavalry - both names derived from French words signifying standard bearers. The Fusilier regiments, having no company colours, had First and Second Lieutenants anyway. The Fusiliers abolished the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1834. Between 1871-1877 the lowest was the Sub Lieutenant, after which today's Second Lieutenant rank was established. During the period of 1868-1879 the Rank was denoted using Collar badges and Cuff braiding insignia Originally insignia were worn on the collar, but were moved to the shoulder boards in 1880 for all officers in full dress, when the system of crowns and stars was reorganised.
	Lieutenant Collar: One Crown One line of 1/2 inch braid
	Captain Collar: One Star and One Crown One line of 1/2 inch braid
	Major Collar: One Star One line of 1/2 inch braid with line of eyes
	Lt Colonel Collar: One Crown One line of 1/2 inch braid with line of eyes
	Colonel Collar: One Star and Crown One line of 1/2 inch braid with line of eyes

1881-1902

	Second Lieutenant	From this time, until 1902, a Captain had just two stars and a Lieutenant one star. During the period of 1881-1902 the Rank was denoted using Shoulder badges and Cuff braiding insignia
	Lieutenant Shoulder: One Star
	Captain Shoulder: Two Stars
	Major Shoulder: One Crown
	Lt Colonel Shoulder: One Star and One Crown
	Colonel Shoulder: Two Stars and One Crown

RANK cuffs_and_collars.jpg

Ranks and Insignia for Engineer and Artillery Officers through out the Victorian Era

	Cuff braiding for Lieutenant on left and Captain on Right.
	Cuff braiding for Major to Colonel
Collar/ Shoulder badges and insignia as for Infantry above.

The 1902 change gave Second Lieutenant's a single star and the insignia of Lieutenants and Captains were increased to two and three stars. 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.

From 1902, a complex system of markings with bars and loops in thin drab braid above the cuff (known irreverently as the asparagus 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.

During World War I, some officers took to wearing similar jackets to the men, 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.

Brigadier-Generals 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 with the rank insignia used to this day.

Rank Origins:

Captain-General: (ca. 17th century) a full General

Serjeant-Major-General: (ca. 17th century) shortened to Major General

Brigadier-General: replaced by Colonel-Commandant in 1922

Colonel-Commandant: replaced by Brigadier in 1928

Serjeant-Major: (ca. 17th century) shortened to Major

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 Lieutenant, but still used in some Guards regiments.

Cornet: cavalry equivalent of ensign replaced in 1871 by Second Lieutenant, but still used in some cavalry regiments.

Today, when in combat dress (dress state 95) the 'rank slide' is worn on the centre of the chest, rather than on the shoulder.

Current UK Officers will wear the following badges on their uniform to signify their rank:

General (Gen)- Crown, star and crossed sword with baton.

Lieutenant General (LT Gen) - Crown and sword with a baton.

Major General (Maj Gen) - General star and sword with a baton.

Brigadier (Brig) - Crown and three stars.

Colonel (Col) - Crown and two stars.

Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) - Crown and star.

Major (Maj) - Crown.

Captain (Capt) - 3 stars.

Lieutenant (Lt) - 2 stars.

Lieutenant (2 Lt) - 1 star.