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From: "Mandeep Singh Bajwa" <>
Subject: Re: [India-L] British Army Officer - E. A. Green
Date: Sat, 3 Jul 2004 12:12:37 +0530
References: <s0e5969b.056@dae.kzntl.gov.za> <005b01c4606e$0d01b020$0100a8c0@sellondb69wqty>


Aren't Majors, Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels Field Officers rather than
Brigadiers and above ?

Mandeep Bajwa


----- Original Message -----
From: Andrew Sellon <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 1:18 AM
Subject: Re: [India-L] British Army Officer - E. A. Green


> Stewart -
>
> For practical purposes the army is divided into two separate rank
> structures.
>
> One lot is not commissioned. They range from the private soldier through
the
> various types of corporal and sergeant to the senior 'Warrant Officer'
ranks
> such as Company and Regimental Sergeant Majors.
>
> Today those destined to be Commissioned Officers join as 'Officer Cadets'.
> After their training they 'pass out', receive their Commissions and become
> Ensigns or 2nd. Lieutenants, (one and the same thing, according to
regiment
> or corps, as below).
>
> Various regiments and corps call the various ranks by historic names of
> their own, so you get 'troopers', 'gunners' and even, I believe, 'corporal
> majors'.
>
> All officers, from 2nd Lieutenant right up to Field Marshal, hold the
> Queen's Commission. On reaching the rank of Brigadier, (a 'one star' or
> Brigadier General in American parlance), one is said to have reached
'Field
> Rank', in other words your 'regimental soldiering' is behind you.
>
> Yes, people 'from the ranks' can, and do, obtain commissions.
>
> I have a feeling that I might be doing a dis-service to Majors, Lt.
Colonels
> and Colonels here, and hope that someone more knowledgeable than I will
put
> me to rights.
>
> Yours Aye Andrew Sellon East Anglia
> When so showy a woman as Mrs So & So appears at a place, even though there
> is no garrison within twelve miles, the horizon is immediately clouded
over
> with majors.
>
> From: "Stewart Green" <>
>
>
> > Thank you to all those who replied to my questions. I am a bit confused
> about army ranks. What is the first rank of a commissioned officer? Is
it
> Lieutenant? Are all subsequent ranks "commissioned ranks"? Are Colonels
&
> Generals on a different plane altogether i.e. above commissioned officers?
> My ancestor appears to have gone straight from cadet to commissioned
officer
> at the age of 19 yrs (whether this was by purchase or not I don't know).
> Was this regular? Did he skip the private/ensign phase?
> >
>
>
>
> ==== INDIA Mailing List ====
> There is lots of interesting browsing in Todd Mill's
> collection of internet links for military in India at:
> http://www.regiments.org/milhist/southasia/india.htm
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