TRI - SERVICE NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS PRELIMS – OHP, ROLL CALL, SAFETY PRECAUTIONS – FIRE EXITS, EQUIPMENT, PENS / PENCILS, NOTEBOOKS REVISION – NIL MY OBJECTIVE OF THIS LESSON TODAY IS TO TEACH YOU THE NON COMMISSIONED INSIGNIA OF THE ROYAL NAVY, ARMY AND ROYAL AIR FORCE SO THAT BY THE END OF THE LESSON YOU WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE RANK INSIGNIA, AND EQUATE THEM TO THE THREE SERVICES. THE REASON FOR THIS LESSON IS SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECOGNISE A RANK AND BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE NON COMMISSIONED OFFICER BY HIS OR HER PROPER TITLE.

SINCE TIME BEGAN THERE HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE TIME BEGAN THERE HAVE BEEN LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IN PRE HISTORY WITH SMALL GROUPS OF MEN AND WOMEN ROAMING THE SAVANNA IT WAS EASY TO IDENTIFY THE “LEADER”. AS TRIBES GOT LARGER AND THEN NATIONS DEVELOPED THE NEED FOR SOLDIERS TO FIGHT EITHER TO DEFEND OR CONQUER BECAME THE NORM. AS THESE ARMIES GREW IN SIZE IT DEVELOPED A NEED FOR LEADERS TO HAVE SOME SORT OF EMBLEM OR INSIGNIA TO SHOW WHERE THEY WERE WITHIN THE COMMAND STRUCTURE. THE NEED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ENEMY AND ALLY, LEADER AND LED, EXPERT AND NOVICE HAS BEEN A FEATURE EVER SINCE MEN BANDED TOGETHER TO ATTACK OR DEFEND THEIR PROPERTY. THE ROMANS, WITH THEIR LARGE ARMIES, FIRST FORMALISED A RANK STRUCTURE. STANDARDISED UNIFORMS, CHAIN OF COMMAND FORMED THE BASIS FOR THE ROMAN ARMY’S SUCCESS.   BY THE 18 / 19 CENTURIES THE APPEARANCE OF MASS CONSCRIPT ARMIES MADE THE WEARING OF UNIFORMS AND SYSTEMS OF DIFFERENTIATING RANK AND STATUS ESSENTIAL

WHEN VIEWING THESE RANKS BE AWARE THERE IS NO DIRECT COMPARISON WITH EACH RANK OR RATE. IT IS A GUIDE BETWEEN THE THREE SERVICES. REVEAL IN HERALDIC TERMS A CHEVRON IS A FIGURE IN A SHIELD REPRESENTING TWO RAFTERS THAT MEET ON TOP. SO THE CHEVRONS THAT INDICATE NCO RANK SHOULD BE MORE CORRECTLY BE CALLED “INVERTED CHEVRONS” THE ARMY LANCE CORPORAL IS THE FIRST RANK. THE ROYAL MARINES HAVE LANCE CORPORALS BUT IT IS AN APPOINTMENT RATHER THAN A RANK. THE RN AND RAF HAVE NO EQUVILANT OR CORRESPONDING RANK

1402 - ANCHOR ADDOPTED AS THE SEAL OF THE LORD HIGH ADMIRAL 1402 - ANCHOR ADDOPTED AS THE SEAL OF THE LORD HIGH ADMIRAL. THIS WAS LATER ADOPTED AS THE STANDARD SYMBOL FOR THE RN. JUNIOR RATES - UNIFORM FORMALISED IN 1857 BY THE ADMIRALTY. EACH CAPTAIN UNTIL THAT POINT WOULD DRESS THE CREW TO THEIR OWN IDEAS WHAT SHOULD BY WORN BY THEM. REVEAL LEADING SEAMAN – WORN ON THE LEFT ARM CORPORAL WORN ON THE RIGHT ARM IN THE ROYAL MARINES AND BOTH ARMS IN THE ARMY RAF WILL WEAR THEIR RANK ON THEIR SHOULDERS WHEN IN SHIRT SLEEVE ORDER

PETTY OFFICER – WORN ON THE LEFT ARM SERGEANT – WORN ON BOTH ARMS IN THE ARMY RIGHT ARM IN THE ROYAL MARINES AND RAF RAF WILL WEAR THEIR RANK ON THEIR SHOULDERS WHEN IN SHIRT SLEEVE ORDER

QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS. QUESTIONS TO THE CLASS

THERE IS NO EQUIVILANT RANK OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER IN THE RM / ARMY / RAF LEFT IS CPO – BRASS BUTTONS WORN AT BOTTOM OF EACH JACKET SLEEVE TOP CENTRE – COLOUR SERGEANT - RM BLUES WORN ON THE RIGHT ARM – CROWN AND CHEVRONS ON LOVATS / WOOLLY PULLY / COMBATS BOTTOM CENTRE – COLOUR SERGEANT OR STAFF SERGEANT – WORN ON BOTH ARMS RIGHT – FLIGHT SARGEANT – WORN ON RIGHT ARM ONLY – IN SHIRT SLEEVES ON SHOULDERS

WARRANT OFFICER CLASS II THERE IS NO EQUIVILANT RANK TO THE WARRANT OFFICER CLASS II IN THE RN AND RAF. IN THE ARMY THERE ARE TWO GRADES OF WARRANT OFFICER CLASS II TOP LEFT - COMPANY SARGEANT MAJOR BOTTOM LEFT – REGIMENTAL QUARTERMASTER SARGEANT CSM – PERSONNEL / DISCIPLINE WITHIN A COY / SQD / WKSP RQMS – ADMINISTRATION IN STORES / OFFICES BOTH WORN ON THE LOWER RIGHT JACKET SLEEVE IN THE RM THERE IS ONLY ONE GRADE OF WOII AND EXEQUTES THE SAME FUNCTIONS AS THE ARMY EQUIVILANT

QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS. QUESTIONS TO THE CLASS

WARRANT OFFICER ALL THE SAME IN THE RN / RM / ARMY / RAF IN ARMY OR ROYAL MARINE UNITS THE MOST SENIOR WARRANT OFFICER IS APPOINTED AS THE REGIMENTAL SARGENT MAJOR ROYAL MARINES SAME COLOUR BADGE AS THE RN WHEN IN BLUES – GREEN BACKGROUND WHEN IN LOVATS

HERE YOU SEE ALL OF THE RANKS OF ALL THREE SERVICES. THEY ARE LAID OUT IN COMPARISON AGAINST EACH OTHER

QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS. QUESTIONS TO THE CLASS

END OF LESSON DRILLS QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS. QUESTIONS TO THE CLASS PACK UP TEST ON THE OBJECTIVES SUMMARY YOU HAVE BEEN SHOWN ALL THE NON - COMMISSIONED RANKS. YOU WILL NEED TO REMEMBER THEM SO THAT YOU CAN TEACH THEM TO YOUR CADETS. WHEN VISITING UNITS OR DURING SEA CADET ACTIVITIES AWAY FROM YOUR UNIT THAT INVOLVE ALL THREE SERVICES, IT WILL DEMONSTRATE A DEGREE OF PROFESSIONALISM TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE SPEAKING TO ON THESE OCCASIONS AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM.