Adjutant/servant

[Khaki]

What was the most senior rank allowed to be the adjutant, was captain the cut off point?

likewise what was the most senior rank to be an officers servant? did it vary according to an officers rank, eg., did a general officer rate a sgt as a servant?

khaki

[Ron Clifton]

Hello khaki

The pay rates given in the Royal Warrant imply that an adjutant would be a captain or a subaltern. He might receive promotion to brevet major but it is most likely that he would only become a substantive major on appointment to command a company, or on becoming second-in-command of the battalion.

Officers' servants are always shown in establishment tables as "rank and file", i.e. corporals and below, and here again, most corporals would be section commanders, which would probably be incompatible with being a batman. I believe that Haig's senior batman was a sergeant but there does not seem to be any rank-grading of batmen relating to the rank of their officer.

Of course, batmen and grooms were given extra pay by their officers, so there would be no financial penalty for staying as a private.

Ron

[Khaki]

Hello Ron,

Thank you for clearing that up for me

khaki