- Colour Sergeant
Colour Sergeant (CSgt or formerly C/Sgt) is a non-commissioned rank in the
Royal Marines andinfantry regiment s of theBritish Army , ranking aboveSergeant and belowWarrant Officer Class 2. It has aNATO [http://rankmaven.tripod.com/NATO-92-RM.htm ranking code] of OR-7 and is equivalent toStaff Sergeant in other corps of the British Army,Flight Sergeant orChief Technician in theRoyal Air Force , andChief Petty Officer in theRoyal Navy . Theinsignia is the monarch's crown above three downward pointing chevrons.The rank was introduced into the British Army during the
Napoleonic Wars to reward long-serving sergeants. ByWorld War I it had given way toCompany Sergeant Major andCompany Quartermaster Sergeant , but it was later reintroduced.Historically, Colour Sergeants of British line regiments were tasked with protecting Ensigns, the most junior officers who were responsible for carrying their
battalion s'Colours (flag or insignia) to rally troops in battles. For this reason the Colour Sergeant rank was considered a prestigious one given normally to courageous Sergeants who had attained accomplishments in battles. This tradition continues today as Colour Sergeants form part of a Colour Party in military parades.Colour Sergeants are referred to and addressed as "Colour Sergeant" or "Colour" ("Colour Sergeant Bloggs" or "Colour Bloggs", for instance), never as "Sergeant". Unusually, NCOs with the rank of Colour Sergeant who hold the appointment of Company Quartermaster Sergeant are still addressed and referred to by their rank, not their appointment.
Canadian usage
Colour Sergeant is also a rank in the
foot guards regiment s of theCanadian Forces , specifically theGovernor General's Foot Guards and theCanadian Grenadier Guards . It is the equivalent toWarrant Officer ; a Colour Sergeant wears the rank insignia of a Warrant Officer (a royal crown) on all uniforms except No. 1 Ceremonial Dress, on which a special rank badge is worn: three chevrons, point down, surmounted by an image of regimental colours.They are addressed as their British counterparts are.
ee also
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Comparative military ranks tags:
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