page_title: British Army officer rank insignia
section_title: Regimental officers
hierarchical_section_title: British Army officer rank insignia / History of rank insignia / Regimental officers
caption_attribution_description: British Army officers' rank as worn on the sleeves in the World War I period.
context_page_description: Listed in the table below are the insignia—emblems of authority—of the British Army. Badges for field officers were first introduced in 1810 and the insignia was moved to the epaulettes in 1880. On ceremonial or parade uniforms these ranks continue to be worn on the epaulettes, either as cloth slides or as metal clips, although on the modern 'working dress' they are usually worn as a cloth slide on the chest. Although these insignia apply across the British Army there is variation in the precise design and colours used and it can take some time to become familiar with them all.
  Officers in the ranks of lieutenant and second lieutenant are often referred to as subalterns and these and captains are also referred to as company officers. Brigadiers, colonels, lieutenant colonels and majors are field officers. All above these are considered to be of general officer rank.
context_section_description: Initially company and field rank insignia did not appear on officers' uniforms.  In 1791 the War Office ordered officers to wear different graded epaulettes and wings to distinguish regimental officer ranks (Colonel to Ensign/ Cornet). This was ordered only for line Infantry officers. According to the Army Order, 
  Field officers (Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel and Major) wore rich epaulettes with rich bullions on both shoulders.
  Captains of Battalion company wore epaulettes with smaller bullions,
  Subalterns (Lieutenant and Ensign/ Sub Lieutenant) of similar company wore same epaulette strap with fringes on right shoulder only.
  Grenadier and Light companies Captain and Subalterns wore wings on both shoulders.
  In 1795, a special pattern of epaulettes was ordered for Fusiliers and Light Infantry officers. Field officers of those regiments wore epaulettes over wings. Company officers wore wings.
  In February 1810, an order was issued by the War Office to distinguish Field officer ranks. The following devices were introduced in the epaulettes:
  Colonel: Crown and Garter star (Order of the Garter)
  Lieutenant Colonel: Crown
  Major: Garter star
  These badges were issued for all infantry regiments except the Foot Guards. In 1815, badges for Foot Guards were ordered. In Foot Guards regiments, all Field Officers were equivalent to the Colonels of line Infantry regiments. Captains were equivalent to Lieutenant Colonels, Lieutenants were equivalent to Majors and Ensigns were equivalent to Captains of Battalion companies.
  Field Officers: Crown and star (Grenadier Guards and Coldstream Guards used the Garter star, and Scot Fusilier Guards used the Thistle star).
  Captain: Crown
  Lieutenant: Star
  Ensign: On device. (Ensigns of the Grenadier Guards wore epaulettes on both shoulders, but the Ensigns of the other two regiments wore a single epaulette on the right shoulder.)
  In 1829, epaulettes and wings were standardised by maintaining the badges of rank issued in 1810 and 1815. According to the order, epaulettes of all regular infantry regiments and foot guards regiments would be in gold and other regiments were in silver. All officers including field and company officers wore epaulettes and wings on both shoulders. The epaulettes over wings system was abolished. Different graded officer wore different sized bullion to distinguish themselves from other.
  Colonel: Epaulette bullions were three and half inches in length. Insignia was Crown and Bath star (Order of the Bath).
  Lieutenant Colonel: Epaulette bullions were three and half inches in length. Insignia was a Crown.
  Major: Epaulette bullions were three inches were length. Insignia was a Bath star.
  Captain of Battalion company: Epaulette bullion were two and half inches in length, No insignia device.
  Subaltern of Battalion company: Epaulette bullion were two inches in length. No insignia device.
  Captain of Flank companies: Wings bullions were one and quarter inches in length and half inches in wide.
  Subalterns of Flank companies: Wings bullions were one and quarter inches in length and quarter inches in wide.
  In January 1855, at the end of the Crimean War, the War Office abolished all epaulette and wing rank badges. New rank badges were introduced in the collar. It was first time that a complete set of rank badges was used by the British Army.
  Colonel: Two rows of half inch laces in collar with Crown and Bath star.
  Lieutenant Colonel: Two rows of half inch laces in collar with Crown.
  Major: Two rows of half inch laces in collar with Bath star.
  Captain: One row of half inch lace on the top of collar with Crown and Bath star.
  Lieutenant: One row of half inch lace on the top of collar with Crown.
  Ensign/Sub Lieutenant: One row of half inch lace on the top of collar with Bath star.
  The above rank badges were issued to all regiments except the Foot Guards regiments.
  Field officers: Two rows of half inch laces with Crown and Bath star.
  Captain: Two rows of half inch laces with Crown.
  Lieutenant: One row of half inch lace on the top of collar with Crown and Bath star.
  Ensign: One row of half inch lace o
caption: Officer insignia of rank as worn on the sleeves in the World War I period.
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