Talk:RAF officer ranks

NATO Codes Are Wrong
For example, OS-6 is a colonel, but this does not match the equivalent RAF rank. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.31.36.39 (talk) 22:59, 23 March 2015 (UTC)
 * They look ok to me. Are you sure that you're not mixing up US rank codes with NATO ones? Greenshed (talk) 20:13, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

Rank Abbreviations for Air Chief Marshals and Air Marshals
In the short time this page has been in exisitance, the abbreviations Air Chf Mshl and ACM, along with Air Mshl and AM have been shown. The RAF web page on ranks lists Air Chf Mshl and Air Mshl as the rank abbreviations although I have seen ACM and AM used. Accordingly I have edited the article to show both abbreviations for each rank. 88.105.136.215 19:45, 4 December 2005 (UTC)
 * I have never, ever seen any abbreviation other than ACM and AM actually used for Air Chief Marshal and Air Marshal in a service context, whatever the website may say. Just as Flying Officer and Pilot Officer are in reality usually abbreviated F/O and P/O (although in those cases I have seen both forms used). I think there's a danger of relying too much on websites, which are usually compiled by public information people with little actual experience of reality. -- Necrothesp 00:33, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Googling "air chf mshl" returns 86 hits including the Veterans Agency, RAF Cranwell and the Central Flying School's websites. The Joint Service Staff Manual – Defence Writing lists the same abbreviations as |the website quoted above. 88.105.142.36 23:25, 7 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Googling ACM and "Air Chief Marshal" returns 583 hits, including the RAF website, the MOD website and RAF Web. It appears both are used, although I think most military historians would agree that ACM/AM are more common. -- Necrothesp 11:06, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

The official (service writing) abbreviations for RAF officer ranks are in the format Plt Off, Fg Off, Flt Lt, etc. The official abbreviation for an Air Chief Marshal is, as stated at the top of the page, Air Chf Mshl, not ACM. However, these service writing conventions have only been in place to my knowledge since the 1960s/70s. It is certainly true that, if you refer to documents from, say, the Second World War, you will see the P/O, F/O, S/L, AVM convention used frequently. Incidentally, I don't know if I've missed a point here but the table at the bottom of the main article seems to have a few errors. The 2nd Lt/Plt Off rank is missing, as is the CPO/C Sgt/Flt Sgt one. The army equivalent for the RN/RAF WO is shown as Sergeant Major. Of course, Sergeant Major is an appointment, not a rank. The army has two classes of WO - WO2 and WO1. In infantry regiments a Company Sergeant Major (CSM) will typically hold the rank of WO2 and a Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) that of WO1.Garryhunt (talk) 21:38, 28 May 2008 (UTC)
 * As regards your incidental points, you might want to comment at Template talk:Military ranks.Greenshed (talk) 19:33, 15 August 2008 (UTC)


 * I believe that in the current day the "Fg Off" abbreviations are used rather than F/O (they definitely are in the RAFAC). However as far as I am aware, Air Ranks use the old abbreviations of AVM etc. FredPashley (talk) 13:08, 20 April 2022 (UTC)

RFC & RNAS
Could anybody create pages for the rank insignia of the RFC and RNAS, both officers and other ranks. This would show the 'evolution' of the RAF rank structure in a much more visual way. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.97.141.99 (talk) 00:59, 2 September 2007 (UTC)


 * RFC would have had the army ranks of the time (same as today except Briagadier General instead of Brigadier). Comments anyone on RNAS?  Dainamo (talk) 11:14, 12 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Info on the RNAS ranks is at http://www.rafweb.org/ranks5.htm Greenshed (talk) 19:35, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

RAF-RNoAF-rank-crewing-WWII query
Hello. With apologies for the x-posting to a couple of Talk pages, if you're knowledgeable on this subject could you please have a very quick look at Talk:Finn Varde Jespersen and see if you can help with either of my small queries there? No big deal but would be nice. Thanks and best wishes DBaK (talk) 09:36, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Proposed new Officer rank images
The current images when scaled down are a little hard to follow. I propose changing them to the images found here The quality is vastly improved and ranks like squadron leader and Group Captain are far clearer to see, as well as it having a vague similarity to the style used for various Navy's on wiki. --ChevronTango (talk) 11:40, 22 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I like the new design, but the Officer Cadet/Student Officer should not have the yellow stripes if it is to be the generic one. The yellow (or alternatively blue, green or black) stripes are used at Cranwell to differentiate between the Squadrons (B, C, D or SERE). KizzyB (talk) 21:13, 23 January 2011 (UTC)

The Officer Cadet Insignia is not mine, however I can produce something should it be deemed appropriate. Because of the ranks variable nature as described would it not be prudent to remove it from the Officer's table and link to it seperately, citing the various colour changes and variants utilised at Cranwell? --ChevronTango (talk) 15:12, 25 January 2011 (UTC)

Just added a new Officer Cadet. Is this an improvement? --ChevronTango (talk) 16:54, 25 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I would suggest that the best option is to show the badge with no coloured cord on whatsoever, as this can be worn by all Officer Cadets, immaterial of their sqn. KizzyB (talk) 20:37, 27 January 2011 (UTC)

Do you have a reference image I can work my image to? --ChevronTango (talk) 13:24, 28 January 2011 (UTC)


 * ChevtronTango, I will find out a photograph for you. It may take a day or two...KizzyB (talk) 20:18, 28 January 2011 (UTC)

Shoulder boards
The article doesn't include details of insignia worn on the shoulder boards in No. 1A dress (e.g. by Marshal of the RAF The Duke of Edinburgh here). Opera hat (talk) 00:17, 26 March 2011 (UTC)


 * I've after a long while had a crack at creating them. Are there here any good? ChevronTango (talk) 13:09, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

This article relies largely on one source
I have tagged this article because the vast majority of the sources are from Uniforminsignia.org --JetBlast (talk) 23:51, 24 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Started adding other refs. Greenshed (talk) 15:50, 14 November 2015 (UTC)

Image of USAF General Charles Horner - request for improvement
Could someone put some text in surrounding this image to describe its relevance to this article, and what it's illustrating? Gurkha (talk) 13:58, 29 June 2013 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on RAF officer ranks. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive http://web.archive.org/web/20110611032607/http://www.mil.se/attachments/the_facts_2006_2007_eng.pdf to http://www.mil.se/attachments/the_facts_2006_2007_eng.pdf

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Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 17:31, 29 February 2016 (UTC)