# Military trivia - stuff you didn't know



## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

I bet none of you knew that the Irish Army has no rank of major or full general or field marshal, like in the 10 rank systems that the UK and the US have. 

The officer ranks are:
2nd Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Captain
Commandant
Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col replaced the rank of Major in 1971)
Colonel
Brigadier General (Brig. Gen was added as a new rank in 1971 to increase the number of officer ranks from 8 to 9)
Major General
Lieutenant General


----------



## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Interesting. 

Another bit of trivia, but not as obscure, is the naval tradition of calling officers at the rank of commander or below as "mister" regardless of gender.


----------



## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

I must have come ashore before women became officers. Wrens, like others were always called by their rank and surname, if commissioned, or by their first name, if on familiar terms in an informal setting. Other ranks were addressed by their surnames, except for the Boatswain. In the Merch the only ranks ever used, in the sense of using as an address were the Old Man, called Captain by courtesy, and the Chief Engineer, always called Chief, except by some Dads who might use the Chief's first name. Everybody else was addressed by the their first name. Again, other ranks were addressed by their surname, except for the Boatswain (or Serang with Indian crew) and the Lamptrimmer, or Lamps (or Tindal).


----------



## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Another detail rarely known by anyone who hasn't served, and which for example most film and TV prog makers get wrong, is that in the UK armed forces if you are talking to an NCO, while a commissioned officer is present and listening to what you are saying, then the NCO is addressed as "sir" or "mam". The irony is that when a film or TV prog gets it right, people watching can be forgiven for wondering why a corporal or sergeant is being called sir.


----------



## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

Is the US the only military where an NCO's chevrons are pointed up? Also stumbled across the fact that the British Household Cavalry has no sergeants, just higher ranks of corporal.


----------



## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

In the French army corporals (caporal) aren't NCOs; only sergeants (sergent) and above are so classed.
British Merchant Navy Officer ranks below captain (Master) are based on French "Marine Nationale" petty officer ranks. First Mate=Premier Maitre (First Master), Second Mate+Deuxieme Maitre etc.


----------



## Yodan731 (Jan 23, 2011)

In the US Marine Corps Second Lieutenant's were historically called "Mister LName" rather than sir. This ended sometime during or shortly after vietnam.


----------



## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

phyrpowr said:


> Is the US the only military where an NCO's chevrons are pointed up? Also stumbled across the fact that the British Household Cavalry has no sergeants, just higher ranks of corporal.


It was not always so:

It seems that, at one time, some regiments of the British were uncertain whether the chevron should point upwards or downwards. In heraldry, a chevron points upwards. The downwards-pointing chevron is called a chevron inverted.

This chart indicates that several NATO countries also use the upwards-pointing chevron, which I believe the Swiss also used at one time.

The Swiss


----------



## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

phyrpowr said:


> Is the US the only military where an NCO's chevrons are pointed up? Also stumbled across the fact that the British Household Cavalry has no sergeants, just higher ranks of corporal.


No, there are quite a few others actually.


----------

