Royal Navy Officer Insignia of World War I

This page is intended to give an overview of Royal Navy officer ranks in World War I, and the three major changes that occurred in those years. For more specific details, including cap insignia and shoulder straps, please see Royal Navy Officer Insignia of World War I, by Branch. For the insignia of reserve officers, please see Royal Navy Reserve and Volunteer Reserve Insignia of World War I.

1914

NOTE: The rank of Lieutenant-Commander was created effective April 1, 1914, in place of the former Lieutenant of eight years seniority.

Military
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice-Admiral Rear-Admiral,
Commodore 1st Class		 Commodore 2nd Class Captain Commander Lieutenant-Commander Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant,
Mate		 Chief Boatswain, Chief Gunner, Commissioned Telegraphist
Boatswain, Gunner, Warrant Telegraphist
Engineering
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Engineer Vice-Admiral Engineer Rear-Admiral Engineer Captain Engineer Commander Engineer Lieutenant-Commander Engineer Lieutenant Engineer Sub-Lieutenant, Mate (E) Chief Artificer Engineer,
Commissioned Mechanician
Artificer Engineer,
Warrant Mechanician
Medical
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Medical Director-General Surgeon-General Deputy Surgeon-General Fleet Surgeon Staff Surgeon Surgeon
Head Wardmaster
Accountant
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Paymaster-in-Chief,
Secretary to an Admiral of the Fleet,
Secretary to a Commander-in-Chief (5 years in rank)		 Fleet Paymaster,
Secretary to a Commander-in-Chief (under 5 years in rank)		 Staff Paymaster,
Paymaster,
Secretary to Flag Officer, Commodore 1st Class or Captain of the Fleet		 Assistant Paymaster of 4 years seniority,
Secretary to a Commodore 2nd Class		 Assistant Paymaster
Warrant Writer,
Head Steward,
Instructor in Cookery
Naval
Instructor
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Naval Instructor of 15 years seniority Naval Instructor of 8 years seniority Naval Instructor under 8 years seniority Chief Schoolmaster
Head Schoolmaster
Artisan
Branch
(Warrant officers or commissioned from warrant rank)
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Carpenter Lieutenant-Commander Carpenter Lieutenant
Chief Carpenter,
Commissioned Electrician
Carpenter,
Warrant Electrician,
Warrant Armourer

1915

On January 1, 1915, an Order in Council merged the Engineering Branch into the Military Branch. Though engineer officers kept their rank titles and the purple branch distinction cloth, their uniforms and insignia otherwise became the same as other Military Branch officers, with the "executive curl," silver and gold cap badges, and oak leaves on the cap peak.

Military Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice-Admiral Rear-Admiral,
Commodore 1st Class		 Commodore 2nd Class Captain Commander Lieutenant-Commander Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant,
Mate		 Chief Boatswain, Chief Gunner, Commissioned Telegraphist
Boatswain, Gunner, Warrant Telegraphist

10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Engineer Vice-Admiral Engineer Rear-Admiral Engineer Captain Engineer Commander Engineer Lieutenant-Commander Engineer Lieutenant Engineer Sub-Lieutenant, Mate (E) Chief Artificer Engineer,
Commissioned Mechanician
Artificer Engineer,
Warrant Mechanician
Medical
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Medical Director-General Surgeon-General Deputy Surgeon-General Fleet Surgeon Staff Surgeon Surgeon
Head Wardmaster
Accountant
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Paymaster-in-Chief,
Secretary to an Admiral of the Fleet,
Secretary to a Commander-in-Chief (5 years in rank)		 Fleet Paymaster,
Secretary to a Commander-in-Chief (under 5 years in rank)		 Staff Paymaster,
Paymaster,
Secretary to Flag Officer, Commodore 1st Class or Captain of the Fleet		 Assistant Paymaster of 4 years seniority,
Secretary to a Commodore 2nd Class		 Assistant Paymaster
Warrant Writer,
Head Steward,
Instructor in Cookery
Naval
Instructor
Branch
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Naval Instructor of 15 years seniority Naval Instructor of 8 years seniority Naval Instructor under 8 years seniority Chief Schoolmaster
Head Schoolmaster
Artisan
Branch
(Warrant officers or commissioned from warrant rank)
10 years seniority
under 10 years seniority
Carpenter Lieutenant-Commander Carpenter Lieutenant
Chief Carpenter,
Commissioned Electrician
Carpenter,
Warrant Electrician,
Warrant Armourer

October 1918

As the war neared its end in 1918, major reforms were made concerning the Royal Navy's officers and their uniforms. The civil branches were given "military" titles, Fleet Surgeon becoming Surgeon-Commander and so on. The curl was added to the rank stripes of all officers, and cap devices and peaks were standardized to the "military" pattern. Warrant officers lost their cuff buttons, which necessitated some changes in their branch distinctions: Shipwrights (formerly carpenters) got silver-gray distinction cloth, wardmasters changed from scarlet to maroon, and the Artisan Branch specialties were further distinguished with green for electricians and dark blue for armourers. All warrant officers now wore a single quarter-inch gold stripe regardless of seniority.

Military Branch
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice-Admiral Rear-Admiral,
Commodore 1st Class		 Commodore 2nd Class Captain Commander Lieutenant-Commander Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant, Mate, Chief Boatswain,* Chief Gunner,* Commissioned Telegraphist,* Commissioned Master-at-Arms* Boatswain, Gunner, Warrant Telegraphist, Chief Master-at-Arms
*Commissioned from warrant rank.
Engineer Vice-Admiral Engineer Rear-Admiral Engineer Captain Engineer Commander Engineer Lieutenant-Commander Engineer Lieutenant Engineer Sub-Lieutenant, Mate (E), Chief Artificer Engineer,* Commissioned Mechanician* Artificer Engineer, Warrant Mechanician
*Commissioned from warrant rank.
Medical
Branch
Surgeon Vice-Admiral Surgeon Rear-Admiral Surgeon Captain Surgeon Commander Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander Surgeon Lieutenant Commissioned Wardmaster* Warrant Wardmaster
*Commissioned from warrant rank.
Accountant
Branch
Paymaster Rear Admiral Paymaster Captain Paymaster Commander Paymaster Lieutenant-Commander Paymaster Lieutenant Paymaster Sub-Lieutenant, Commissioned Writer,* Commissioned Victualling Officer,* Commissioned Instructor in Cookery* Warrant Writer, Warrant Victualling Officer, Warrant Instructor in Cookery
*Commissioned from warrant rank.
Naval
Instructor
Branch
Instructor Captain Instructor Commander Instructor Lieutenant-Commander Instructor Lieutenant,
Schoolmaster Lieutenant*		 Chief Schoolmaster* Head Schoolmaster
*Commissioned from warrant rank.
Artisan
Branch
(Warrant officers or commissioned from warrant rank)
Shipwright Lieutenant-Commander Shipwright Lieutenant Commissioned Shipwright Warrant Shipwright
Commissioned Electrician Warrant Electrician
Commissioned Armourer Warrant Armourer

 

 

The information on this page is based primarily on the Royal Navy Uniform Regulations published quarterly in the Navy List. Please see Quarterly Navy Lists, 1913-1919 on the National Library of Scotland website.

All text and images © Justin T. Broderick, 2013-2021 unless otherwise indicated.