
Brigadier (abbreviated Brig) is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines. Brigadier is the superior rank to colonel, but subordinate to major-general. While the corresponding rank of brigadier general in many other nations is a general officer rank, the British Army considers it a field officer rank.
The rank has a NATO rank code of OF-6, placing it equivalent to the Royal Navy commodore and the Royal Air Force air commodore ranks. It is also equivalent to a brigadier general (1-star general) in the United States of America.
Insignia[]
The rank insignia for a brigadier is a crown over three "pips" ("Bath" stars). The rank insignia for a brigadier-general was crossed sword and baton.
Usage[]
In 1922 the appointment of brigadier-general was replaced by those of colonel-commandant and colonel on the staff. These appointments, although reflecting its modern role in the British Army as a senior colonel rather than a junior general, were not well received and were both replaced with brigadier in 1928.[1]
Until shortly after World War II, brigadier was an appointment conferred on colonels (as commodore was an appointment conferred on naval captains) rather than a substantive rank.[1] The Royal Marines retained this until 1997, when both commodore and brigadier became substantive ranks.[2]
Junior officer rank[]
Historically, brigadier and sub-brigadier were the junior officer ranks in the Troops of Horse Guards. This corresponded to French practice, where a brigadier was the cavalry equivalent of a corporal. To reflect the status of the Horse Guards as Household Troops, brigadiers ranked with lieutenants and sub-brigadiers with cornets in other cavalry regiments. When the Horse Guards were disbanded in 1788, the brigadiers and sub-brigadiers of the 1st and 2nd Troops became lieutenants and cornets in the 1st and 2nd Regiments of Life Guards, respectively.[3]
Brigadier remains the lowest officer rank in the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen's Bodyguard for Scotland. There are twelve brigadiers on the establishment, ranking after ensigns.[4]
Footnotes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "New Army Rank of Brigadier", The Times, 23 December 1927
- ↑ Debrett's
- ↑ "No. 13005". 5—8 July 1788. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/13005/page/
- ↑ Royal Company of Archers, royal.gov.uk. Accessed 1 July 2012
External links[]
- Army Ranks - British Army website
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NATO rank code | Student Officer | OF-1 | OF-2 | OF-3 | OF-4 | OF-5 | OF-6 * |
OF-7 ** |
OF-8 *** |
OF-9 **** |
OF-10 ***** | ||
Royal Navy | O Cdt | Mid | SLt | Lt | Lt Cdr | Cdr | Capt | Cdre | RAdm (list) |
VAdm (list) |
Adm (list) |
Adm of the Fleet | |
Royal Marines | 2Lt | Lt | Capt | Maj | Lt Col | Col | Brig | Maj-Gen | Lt-Gen | Gen (list) | |||
Army | O Cdt | 2Lt | Lt | Capt | Maj | Lt Col | Col | Brig | Maj-Gen |
Lt-Gen |
Gen (list) |
FM | |
Royal Air Force | OC / SO | APO / Plt Off | Fg Off | Flt Lt | Sqn Ldr | Wg Cdr | Gp Capt | Air Cdre | AVM | Air Mshl | Air Chf Mshl (list) |
MRAF |
The original article can be found at Brigadier (United Kingdom) and the edit history here.