A Question of Rank

[Ciaran Byrne]

Hello All,

I was studyingthe war diary of the 5th Royal Irish Lancers the other day and ranks such as T/Lieut. and T/Capt. were listed on several occasions. Can you tell me what the initial T stands for?

Thanks

[Jonathan Saunders]

I think the "T" was for Temporary

[Guest FRANKBARTHOLOMEW]

T does indeed stand for Temporary. Temporary rank is given to officers for the duration of a particular mission or campaign. Therefore, one can be say a Brigadier General and a Captain simultaneously.

Temporary rank was more common for Field and Junior General ranks such as Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Brigadier General: this was to stop an accumulation of high ranking officers with no employment. Upon the completion of a campaign or mission, the officer would return to his original rank.

Under normal circumstances (pre WWI), one would become a Captain 6-9 years after commissioning, and a Major 14-20 years after commissioning. Higher ranks depended on luck, and also if one had attended Staff College at Quetta or Camberley.

Whilst holding Temporary rank, one does not receive any extra payments associated with the higher rank, but one is entitled to decorations intended for those officers.

Also, just to help: Bt. stands for Brevet and L is local. The latter is another way to save money.

Thus, one can hold two ranks simultaneously: one temporary and one substantive.

[Will O'Brien]

Does this business of temporary rank extend to NCO's as well as officers. The reason I ask is that during research I have undertaken on local casualties in my area quite often I have come across official documents which have listed the soldier say for example as holding the rank of Corporal, however newpaper reports of the time quote a higher rank, usually a Sergeant. (This combination of Corporal to Sergeant is the most usual I have found)

Will

[armourersergeant]

sorry to go off a bit at a tangent but didnt they used to have something called army rank and regimental rank or was this way back in wellingtons time , because i seem to remember reading it somewhere, come to think of it i think it was a sharpe book. but anyway when did this end.

Arm.

[Guest stevebec]

Yes Tempary and Acting ranks were given to all ranks.

This, as even now days is more a pay thing.

A Soldier who was say T/Sgt could be doing a Sgt's job (in a Sgt postion on the rolls) but payed as a Cpl which would be his substantive rank.

He would be in the position of a Sgt untill another Sgt was posted in or promated or you where promated to substanive Sgt your self then you would lose the T/ rank.

The only problem to T/ rank was if you were sent to hospital or such you would lose your T/ rank as someone else would take your T/ position in the company and you would have only your substantive rank.

S.B