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Colonel (UK)

 
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Colonel (UK)
 
 
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Colonel is a rank of the British forces, ranking just below Brigadier
Brigadier

Brigadier is a military Military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation....
. They are not usually field commanders, instead typically serving as staff officers in between field commands at battalion and brigade level. The insignia is two diamond shaped pips
British Army officer rank insignia

|- align = center|Abbreviation:||FM||Gen||Lt Gen||Maj Gen||Brig||Col||Lt Col||Maj||Capt||Lt||2Lt||||OCdt|-|colspan = 8|1 Abeyance - appointments no longer made to this rank in peacetime....
 (properly called bath stars) and a crown.






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Uk Army Of5
Colonel is a rank of the British forces, ranking just below Brigadier
Brigadier

Brigadier is a military Military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation....
. They are not usually field commanders, instead typically serving as staff officers in between field commands at battalion and brigade level. The insignia is two diamond shaped pips
British Army officer rank insignia

|- align = center|Abbreviation:||FM||Gen||Lt Gen||Maj Gen||Brig||Col||Lt Col||Maj||Capt||Lt||2Lt||||OCdt|-|colspan = 8|1 Abeyance - appointments no longer made to this rank in peacetime....
 (properly called bath stars) and a crown. The crown has varied in the past with different monarchs; the current Queen's
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...
 reign has used St Edward's Crown.

From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of colonel. It was superseded by the rank of group captain
Group Captain

Group Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth of Nations countries. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore....
 on the following day.

Ceremonial rank or "Colonel of the Regiment"

In the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
, Colonel may also refer to the ceremonial head of a regiment; this is almost always a general officer or Brigadier
Brigadier

Brigadier is a military Military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation....
, often retired, with a close link to the regiment in question. Some non-military personnel may be appointed to the position, thereby holding an Honorary rank of Colonel for the duration of the appointment, though usually with the Territorial Army units.
This position is often described as Colonel of the Regiment to distinguish it from the rank of Colonel. When attending functions as a 'Colonel of the Regiment' the officer would wear the rank insignia of a Full Colonel, regardless of their official rank. This position may also be held by members of the Royal Family
Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term "imperial family" more appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress regnant, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate in reference to the relatives of a reigning duke, grand duke, or prince....
, who would then be known as 'Royal Colonels'. However this position would not be held unless the Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief

In the British Army and other Commonwealth of Nations armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel ....
 of the regiment was of a senior royal position.

Colonel-in-Chief
Colonel-in-Chief

In the British Army and other Commonwealth of Nations armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel ....
 is also a ceremonial title of the British Army and various Commonwealth armies. Usually a member of the Royal Family
British Royal Family

The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in his or her Commonwealth realm#The Crown in the Commonwealth realmss, thus sometimes at variance with official national terms for the family....
. The Colonel of the Regiment often has a closer involvement with the regiment and its Regimental Association.

See also


  • British and U.S. military ranks compared
  • British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
  • British Army officer rank insignia
    British Army officer rank insignia

    |- align = center|Abbreviation:||FM||Gen||Lt Gen||Maj Gen||Brig||Col||Lt Col||Maj||Capt||Lt||2Lt||||OCdt|-|colspan = 8|1 Abeyance - appointments no longer made to this rank in peacetime....