Brave British soldiers and the Victoria Cross / a general account of the regiments and men of the British Army, and stories of the brave deeds which won the prize "for valour"

by Unknown

These ranks being fixed and known, we can now compare the staff and civil branches of the army with them. The great advantage of “rank” to the civil branches is not merely the position, but the power of choosing quarters in garrison, cabins on board ship, &c., before officers who are junior in rank. No nominal rank allows any person except a regular officer to have any military command; thus, if an Ensign were on board ship with troops, as also an old Surgeon and Paymaster, the Ensign would command the troops, though the Surgeon and Paymaster both rank as Captains.

The following are the relative ranks of the Staff Officers named below:—

Paymasters	Rank as Captains.
Surgeons	Rank as Captains.
Assistant-Surgeons	Rank as Lieutenants.
Veterinary Surgeons during the first ten years of their service	Rank as Cornets.
Ditto after ten years	Rank as Lieutenants.
Ditto after twenty years	Rank as Captains.
Quartermasters	Rank as Lieutenants.

In the Medical Department there are various titles, each of which ranks according to the following list:—

Inspector-General	Ranks as Brigadier-General.
Deputy Inspector-General	Ranks as Lieutenant-Colonel.
Staff Surgeon, 1st Class	Ranks as Major.
Regimental Surgeon and Staff Surgeon, 2nd Class	Ranks as Captain.
Apothecary	Ranks as Captain, but junior of that rank.
Assistant-Surgeon	Ranks as Lieutenant.
Deputy Purveyor	Ranks as Lieutenant.
Medical Clerk	Ranks as Ensign.

COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT.

Commissary-General	Ranks as Brigadier-General.
Deputy Commissary-General, if of three years’ standing	Ranks as Lieutenant-Colonel.
Ditto under three years’ standing	Ranks as Major.
Assistant Commissary-General	Ranks as Captain.
Deputy Assistant Commissary-General	Ranks as Lieutenant.
Deputy Clerks	Rank as Ensigns.

WAR DEPARTMENT.

Storekeepers, Barrackmasters of 1st Class	Rank as Majors.
Deputy Storekeepers, Barrackmasters, 2nd Class	Rank as Captains.
Barrackmasters of 3rd & 4th Class	Rank as Lieutenants.
Clerks	Rank as Ensigns.

Chaplains attached to Brigades rank as Majors, whilst those attached to Regiments take rank as Captains.