What is the highest rank in the British Army?
Field marshal has been the highest rank in the British Army since 1736. A five-star rank with NATO code OF-10, it is equivalent to an admiral of the fleet in the Royal Navy or a marshal of the Royal Air Force in the RAF. A field marshal's insignia consists of two crossed batons surrounded by yellow leaf below St Edward's Crown. As with marshals of the Royal Air Force and admirals of the fleet in their respective services, field marshals remain officers of the British Army for life, though on half-pay when not in an appointment. The rank has been used sporadically throughout its history and was vacant through parts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (when all holders of the rank were deceased). After the Second World War, it became standard practice to appoint the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (later renamed Chief of the General Staff) to the rank on his last day in the post. Army officers occupying the post of Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of all the British Armed Forces, were usually promoted to the rank upon their appointment.
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18 Comments
Fred Keogh
Ian Swindale, As an ex officer you surprise me. The rank of 'Field Marshall' has not been done away with at all. It is STILL a rank in the British Army, but now it is an Honorary rank. It is also in the Sovereign's gift to reactivate the rank for serving soldiers
Barry Crews
Drew Johnson sounds to me like the type of very poor representative of the USA who would insist that WWI didn't start until 1917 because that's when the yanks became involved
Ed Taber
What exactly did Drew Johnson say to upset the Brits? In WW II the story is that General Marshal refused the rank of 'Marshal' as Field Marshal Marshal sounded rather odd. Did John French and Douglass Haig really attend Sandhurst on basketball scholarships?
Louise C.
Peggy Tinsley, He is singing or in this case typing the lyrics from The Pirates of
Penzance
Patricia Chisman
Patricia Hein, I agree
John McLardie
Ian Swindale, wrong. Sir Peter Inge, in 1994, was the last serving officer in the British Army to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. Since 1995 the rank has been 'held in abeyance' with only 2 ex Chiefs of Defence Staff, Sir Charles Guthrie and Lord Walker of Aldringham, given the rank, honorary, on their retirement from the Army.
Steven Ernest Scott
I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;[a]
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news, (bothered for a rhyme)
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies,
I know the croaking chorus from The Frogs of Aristophanes!
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore, (bothered for a rhyme)[b]
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.
Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,
And tell you ev'ry detail of Caractacus's uniform:[c]
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,[d]
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery –
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy – (bothered for a rhyme)
You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.[e]
For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;
But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
Jan R Anderberg
Ian Swindale, Lord Guthrie is a Field Marshal.
Jan R Anderberg
stephen dugan, A Lieutenant General ranks higher than a Major General.
Jan R Anderberg
Rosalind S Feldman, Lord Guthrie is a Field Marshal
Jan R Anderberg
Lord Guthrie has the rank of Field Marshal in the British Army!
stephen dugan
Rosalind S Feldman, Brigadier is the lowest of the General ranks. It is followed by Lieutenant General, Major General, General.
Les Griffin
Didn't know that, thanks
Jeff Carter
Drew Johnson, it is people like you who give the rest of the world a false impression of the stereotype American. Having visited the USA a number of times recently, I have found the American people to be extremely pleasant and courteous. Do yourself and your country a favour, Drew, and keep your bigoted opinions to yourself.
Ian Swindale
You are totally wrong. The rank or appointment of Field Marshall was done away with many many moons ago so it is NOT the highest rank in the British Army - I am an ex army officer. The highest officer is a (full) General and he is the equivalent of a 4 star general in the US. Any officer who had such a rank kept it but the number living with any of these ranks is now very small indeed. Brigadier is a 1 star General, Major General a 2 star one and Lieutenant General a 3 star General. At the same time the ranks of Admiral of the Fleet and Marshall of the Royal Air Force were also done away with.