French NCO Ranks

[Adrian Roberts]

I don't know if this would be better in the "Uniforms.." section, but I'll start here as it arises from my reading of Norman Frank's Sharks and Minnows - the account of the Fokker (and Pfalz) Eindecker period of air warfare, June 1915 to Sept 1916.

Several of the French victims of the Fokkers held the rank of Brigadier. Am I right in thinking that in the French military, a Brigadier was not a high-ranking officer, but a type of NCO? If so what was the British equivalent?

Other French airmen are described as "Adjutant", which seems to be a rank rather than a post as with the British, or as "Aspirant", which sounds like a type of Cadet, but surely the French for Cadet is Cadet. So what were these ranks?

One rank that NF does explain is MdL - Marechal des Logis - which apparently was the equivalent of a Sergeant in a Cavalry or Artillery regiment.

One observation that the records in the book seem to suggest, is that in the French "Aviation Militaire" it was much more common for a two-seat aircraft to be crewed by two NCOs than was the case in the British or German air services. At least in this early period of the war, a Sergent Pilot and Soldat gunner seems to have been not uncommon, whereas in the RFC all-NCO crews were rare but not unheard of. In the the Luftstreitkraft, the pilot was often an NCO, sometimes only a Gefreiter[L/Cpl] or even Flieger [Private/Airman], but I can't find any examples of the observer not being an Officer. Does this sound right?

Finally, if a French Brigadier was an NCO, was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle incorrect to give his hero "Brigadier Gerard" that rank, when he clearly intends to imply the equivalent of a British Brigadier-General?

Adrian

[Edward_N_Kelly]

I assume that ranks have not changed all that much....(famous last words).

Have a look here ==> Ranks in the French Army

Edward

[Adrian Roberts]

Edward

Thanks for this link - so, a French Brigadier is a Corporal in a Cavalry Regiment. I thought it would a bit careless of the Aviation Militaire to lose so many Brigadier-General equivalents as aircrew. Adjutant is, roughly, a Staff Sergeant or CSM, Aspirant an Officer Cadet, and a French Major is in fact an RSM.

And Brigadier Gerard must have been (in the final stories) a General de Brigade.

Adrian

[squirrel]

According to Richard Holmes in his book "Riding the Retreat", an Aspirant was an Officer Cadet but with specific duties within a unit.