Capitalisation of noun Orderly

[kerry]

I'd be grateful for your advice please on grammar.

I get it that unit formations such as platoons or battalions are lower case if not referring to a specific entity. But these nouns then become capitalised when talking of the Battalion CO, for instance.

But what about a CO's orderly? Should that be capitalised in a sentence such as 'The CO turned to his Orderly....' or does it stay in lower case?

Thanks in advance.

[depaor01]

As a grammar and usage pedant, active elsewhere on this forum, the capitalisation of orderly looks wrong to me. I'm not a military expert, but happy to learn here as always. 

Dave

[FROGSMILE]

On 06/05/2024 at 17:55, kerry said:

I'd be grateful for your advice please on grammar.

I get it that unit formations such as platoons or battalions are lower case if not referring to a specific entity. But these nouns then become capitalised when talking of the Battalion CO, for instance.

But what about a CO's orderly? Should that be capitalised in a sentence such as 'The CO turned to his Orderly....' or does it stay in lower case?

Thanks in advance.

Kerry, I think it would stay in lower case, except perhaps when you added the man’s name, and even then to be scrupulously correct you would give the man’s rank too, as in: The CO’s orderly, Private Snooks, turned smartly to the right and saluted, etc. etc.

Edited 13 May , 2024 by FROGSMILE

[kerry]

Yes, that seems to be the consensus. Thanks for your input, appreciated.

[FROGSMILE]

3 minutes ago, kerry said:

Yes, that seems to be the consensus. Thanks for your input, appreciated.

Glad to help.  Good luck with the book.

I recall when Colonel Allan Mallinson began writing novels after leaving the Army, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his books with a military theme, especially the first one.

Edited 13 May , 2024 by FROGSMILE

[Pat Atkins]

Orderly is a common noun, and thus uncapitalised. The key difference is that a rank, when applied to an individual, is a title and as such a proper noun - it should be capitalised. Hence the correct capitalisation in Frogsmile's "The CO's orderly Pte Snooks" - the only common noun is orderly; the rest are proper nouns.

 

Edit: I realise that's what was agreed upon! Just wanted to add the grammatical rule.

 

Edited 13 May , 2024 by Pat Atkins

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, Pat Atkins said:

Orderly is a common noun, and thus uncapitalised. The key difference is that a rank, when applied to an individual, is a title and as such a proper noun - it should be capitalised. Hence the correct capitalisation in Frogsmile's "The CO's orderly Pte Snooks" - the only common noun is orderly; the rest are proper nouns.

 

Edit: I realise that's what was agreed upon! Just wanted to add the grammatical rule.

 

Thanks Pat, it’s useful to have the rules laid out so clearly.