Listed below are current principal ranks of the British Army. Depending on the time period you are researching, some of these ranks may not have existed, or the rank may have since disappeared. To individually list and explain them all would be a long and extremely complicated task, so please treat this as a very basic guide and do not be alarmed if what you see here does not exactly fit the information you have.
You may come across the following ranks or appointments, which are listed with their modern equivalents:
| Brigadier General | Brigadier |
| Cornet or Ensign | Second Lieutenant |
| Gunner | Private in the Royal Artillery |
| Bombardier | Corporal in the Royal Artillery |
| Lance Bombardier | Lance Corporal in the Royal Artillery |
| Sergeant Major | Warrant Officer Class 1 or Class 2 |
| Colour Sergeant | Staff Sergeant |
| Serjeant | The archaic spelling of Sergeant |
| Quartermaster Sergeant | Usually a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer Class 2 |
Note that there are many ranks
and appointments not listed above. Here are just a few (without
explanation):