Major (Maj) is a military rank which is used by both the
British Army and
Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
. The rank is superior to
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
and subordinate to
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
. The insignia for a major is a
crown. The equivalent rank in the
Royal Navy is
lieutenant commander, and
squadron leader in the
Royal Air Force.
History
By the time of the
Napoleonic wars, an
infantry battalion usually had two majors, designated the "senior major" and the "junior major". The senior major effectively acted as
second-in-command
Second-in-command (2i/c or 2IC) is a title denoting that the holder of the title is the second-highest authority within a certain organisation.
Usage
In the British Army or Royal Marines, the second-in-command is the deputy commander of a unit, ...
and the majors often commanded detachments of two or more
companies split from the main body. The second-in-command of a battalion or
regiment is still a major.
File:British-Army-Maj(1856-1867)-Collar Insignia.svg, 1856 to 1867 major's collar rank insignia
File:British-Army-Maj(1867-1880)-Collar Insignia.svg, 1867 to 1880 major's collar rank insignia
File:British&Empire-Army-Maj(1881-1902).svg, 1881 to 1902 major's shoulder rank insignia
During World War I, majors wore the following cuff badges:
File:World War I British Army major's rank insignia (sleeve, general pattern).png, 1902 to 1920 major's sleeve rank insignia (general pattern)
File:World War I British Army major's rank insignia (sleeve, Scottish pattern).png, 1902 to 1920 major's sleeve rank insignia (Scottish pattern)
During World War I, some officers took to wearing similar jackets to the men, with the rank badges on the shoulder, as the cuff badges made them conspicuous to snipers. This practice was frowned on outside the trenches but was given official sanction in 1917 as an alternative, being made permanent in 1920 when the cuff badges were abolished.
From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of major. It was superseded by the rank of squadron leader on the following day.
By
World War I, majors were often commanding independent companies,
squadrons, and
batteries
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
, but those that were organically part of a regiment or battalion were still usually commanded by captains. After
World War II, major became the usual rank held by
officers commanding all companies, squadrons, and batteries. In the 21st century British Army, officers normally attain the rank after around eight to 10 years of commissioned service. A common job for a major is the command of a sub-unit of 120 or fewer junior officers and soldiers.
See also
*
British and U.S. military ranks compared
*
British Army Other Ranks rank insignia
*
British Army officer rank insignia
References
{{UK officer ranks
Military ranks of the British Army
Military ranks of the Royal Marines
Former military ranks of the Royal Air Force