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The following table shows comparative officer ranks of several Allied and Central powers during World War I.
British army ranks during the Great War - The Long, Long Trail. Infantry ranks. Each step up in rank is referred to as a promotion. It brought greater pay and greater responsibility. Private: the ordinary soldier. His legal equivalents were Gunner and Driver (Royal Artillery), Pioneer, Sapper and Driver (Royal Engineers), Trooper (Cavalry).
During the First World War, there were four distinct British armies. The first comprised approximately 247,000 soldiers of the regular army, over half of whom were posted overseas to garrison the British Empire, supported by some 21 reserves and a potential 60,000 additional reserves.
Due to the expansion of the Army during World War I, there were a very large number of general officers, whose numbers were very disproportionate to the other Allied Armies, and had the effect of reducing the status of all British Generals.
The ranks covered by the records detailed in this guide include Private, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant Major and Warrant Officer – but not commissioned officer...
A guide to the structure of the British Army in the First World War from battalion to army group and what resources are available to help you in your research.
There are two distinct tiers within the British Army’s rank structure: officers and other ranks. Officers are at the top of the hierarchy. Their ranks indicate that they hold positions of authority, granted through a commission - a formal document of appointment signed by the monarch.
