page_title: Officer (armed forces)
section_title: Commonwealth of Nations
hierarchical_section_title: Officer (armed forces) / Commission sources and training / Commonwealth of Nations
caption_attribution_description: AWM Caption: Warfusée-Abancourt, France. Lieutenant Rupert Frederick Arding Downes MC addressing his Platoon from B Company, 29th Battalion, during a rest near the villages of Warfusée-Abancourt and Lamotte-en-Santerre before the advance onto Harbonnières, the battalion's second objective. The background is obscured by the smoke of heavy shellfire. Pictured, left to right: 5085 Sergeant (Sgt) William Patrick O'Brien of Gordon, Vic, a schoolteacher in civilian life, was killed in action on 9 August 1918; 4271 Private (Pte) James Cryer was born at Bury, Lancashire, a farmer when he enlisted at Armidale, NSW, later transferring to the 32nd Battalion; 4103 Pte Charles Alfred Olive of Lara, Vic was initially rejected before enlisting in September 1916, was killed in action near Bellicourt on 30 September 1918; 677 Lance Corporal (L Cpl) Louis Price MM of Maryborough, Vic, an original member of B company, was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in Belgium in 1917, and later transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 5095 Pte Harry James Phillips , a packer in civilian life, the youngest in the platoon at nineteen years of age, was wounded on 29 August 1918, returning to Australia in December 1918; 4733 Pte Horace Joseph Buckley , a clerk of Kyneton, Vic, was wounded in action on 9 August 1918, later transferring to the 32nd Battalion where his frequent periods of absenteeism continued; 509 L Cpl Alexander Bethuen Craven , a labourer of Ballarat, Vic, served three years with the battalion before transferring to the 32nd Battalion; 5088 Pte Patrick O'Grady of Galway, Ireland was employed as a miller in Melbourne, Vic, before enlistment and he also transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 5057 Pte Timothy Leyden of Trentham, Vic, a railway employee in civilian life, was gassed on 27 August 1918, transferring to the 5th Battalion on 22 November 1918; 5116 Pte Edward Thomlinson , a driver of Stawell, Vic, the oldest member of the platoon at forty four years of age, was taken on strength with the battalion on 6 June 1918, later transferring to the 32nd Battalion 5014 Pte Herbert Davidson , a leather worker of Brunswick, Vic, later transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 6827 Pte Horace John Towers , a farm labourer of Cootamundra, NSW, later transferred to the 32nd Battalion, and was admitted to the Abbeville Hospital on 9 November 1918 suffering broncho-pneumonia where he died on 11 November 1918; 4349 L Cpl Thomas John Barrett Pope , born at Westbury-on-Tyne, Gloucestershire, a farmer of Sydney, NSW, was wounded in action on 30 September 1918; 2568 Pte John Leslie Gordon Arlow of Warrnambool, Vic, a blacksmith in civilian life, was killed in action near Bellicourt on 30 September 1918; 3207 L Cpl John Bird , a carpenter of South Melbourne, Vic, later transferred to the 32nd Battalion; 560 Pte Frederick George Hall (front of line) , an iron moulder of South Melbourne, Vic, an original member of B company, was wounded in action twice; Lieutenant R. F. A. Downes MC (right) of Camden, NSW, was an orchardist prior to enlistment, sailed as a second lieutenant and was promoted to lieutenant in May 1917. He was awarded the Military Cross for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" at Morlancourt in July 1918 and like most of his men was transferred to the 32nd Battalion with the reorganisation of battalions which took place in 1918
context_page_description: An officer is a member of an armed forces or uniformed service who holds a position of authority.
  In its broadest sense, the term "officer" refers to commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and warrant officers. However, when used without further detail, the term almost always refers to only commissioned officers, the more senior portion of a force who derive their authority from a commission from the head of state.
context_section_description: In countries whose ranking systems are based upon the models of the British Armed Forces (BAF), officers from the rank of Second Lieutenant (army), Sub-Lieutenant (navy) or Pilot Officer (air force) to the rank of General, Admiral or Air Chief Marshal respectively, are holders of a commission granted to them by the appropriate awarding authority. In United Kingdom (UK) and other Commonwealth realms, the awarding authority is the monarch (or a Governor General representing the monarch) as head of state. The head of state often is granted the power to award commissions, or has commissions awarded in his or her name.
  In Commonwealth nations, commissioned officers are given commissioning scrolls (also known as commissioning scripts) signed by the Sovereign or the Governor General acting on the monarch's behalf. Upon receipt, this is an official legal document that binds the mentioned officer to the commitment stated on the scroll.
  Non-commissioned members rise from the lowest ranks in most nations. Education standards for non-commissioned members are typically lower than for officers (with the exception of specialised military and highly-technical trades; such as aircraft, weapons or electronics engineers). Enlisted members only receive leadership training after they are promoted to positions of responsibility, or as a prerequisite for such. In the past (and in some countries today but to a lesser extent), non-commissioned members were almost exclusively conscripts, whereas officers were volunteers.
  In certain Commonwealth nations, commissioned officers are made commissioners of oaths by virtue of their office and can thus administer oaths or take affidavits or declarations, limited in certain cases by rank or by appointment, and generally limited to activities or personnel related to their employment.
caption: A platoon from the Australian 29th Battalion being addressed by their officer commanding in August 1918
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