Military ranks of women's services in WWII

Military insignia of women's services during World War II.

The Military ranks of Women's Services in WWII are the military insignia used by the various all female military services and units during World War II.

Germany

Italian Social Republic

Officers
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Italian Social Republic Female Auxiliary Service
  • v
  • t
  • e
Comandante generale Vice comandante generale Ispettrice Comandante raggruppamento Comandante provinciale Vice comandante provinciale Comandante di gruppo
Enlisted
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Italian Social Republic Female Auxiliary Service
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia
Capo nucleo Vice capo nucleo Ausiliaria scelta Ausiliaria

United Kingdom

Officers
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
United Kingdom Women's Transport Service
(1938–1945)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Commandant Staff Commander Commander Captain Lieutenant Ensign Cadet Ensign


United Kingdom Auxiliary Territorial Service
(1938–1941)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Chief Controller Senior Controller Controller Chief Commandant Senior Commandant Company Commander Deputy Company Commander Company Assistant


United Kingdom Auxiliary Territorial Service[1]
(1941–1949)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Chief Controller Senior Controller Controller Chief Commander Senior Commander Junior Commander Subaltern Second Subaltern


United Kingdom Mechanised Transport Corps
  • v
  • t
  • e
Corps Commandant Senior Commandant Commandant Commander Captain Lieutenant Ensign


Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
(1939-1940)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Senior Controller Controller Chief Commandant Senior Commandant Company Commander Deputy Company Commander Company Assistant


Women's Auxiliary Air Force
(1940-1949)[2]
  • v
  • t
  • e
Air Chief Commandant[note 1] Air Commandant Group Officer Wing Officer Squadron Officer Flight Officer Section Officer Assistant Section Officer


Women's Royal Naval Service
  • v
  • t
  • e
(1939–1940)[3] Director Deputy Director Superintendent Chief Officer First Officer Second Officer
(1941–1945)[4] Superintendent Chief Officer First Officer Second Officer Third Officer


Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Other ranks
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
United Kingdom Women's Transport Service
(1938–1945)
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia
Warrant Officer Class II Sergeant Corporal Lance Corporal Driver


United Kingdom Auxiliary Territorial Service
(1938–1941)
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia
Senior Leader Section Leader Sub-Leader Chief Volunteer Volunteer


United Kingdom Auxiliary Territorial Service
(1941–1949)
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia
Warrant Officer Class I Warrant Officer Class II Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal
Bombardier[note 2]
Lance Corporal
Lance Bombardier[note 3]
Private
Gunner[note 4]


United Kingdom Mechanised Transport Corps
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia
Company Cadet Officer Section Cadet Officer Cadet Officer Driver


Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Women's Auxiliary Air Force
(1939-1940)
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia No insignia
Senior Section Leader Section Leader Assistant Section Leader Aircraftwoman 1st Class Aircraftwoman 2nd Class


Women's Auxiliary Air Force
(1940-1949)
  • v
  • t
  • e
No insignia No insignia
Warrant officer[note 5] Flight Sergeant[note 6] Sergeant Corporal Leading Aircraftwoman Aircraftwoman 1st Class Aircraftwoman 2nd Class


United Kingdom Women's Royal Naval Service
(1939–1952)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Chief Wren Petty Officer Wren Leading Wren Wren Ordinary Wren


Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted

Notes

  1. ^ created 1943 with first appointment.
  2. ^ used when assigned to AAC batteries[citation needed]
  3. ^ used when assigned to AAC batteries[citation needed]
  4. ^ used when assigned to AAC batteries[citation needed]
  5. ^ also called Under Officer
  6. ^ also called Senior Sergeant

References

  1. ^ Talbot-Booth, E. C., ed. (1943). Rank and Badges in the Navy, Army, RAF, and Auxiliaries (PDF). London: George Philip and Son Ltd. p. 31.
  2. ^ Talbot-Booth, E.C. (1943). Ranks and Badges in the Navy, Army, RAF and Auxiliaries (PDF). London: George Philip & Son, Ltd. p. 31.
  3. ^ Coleman, E.C. (2011). Rank and Rate Volume II. The Crowood Press.
  4. ^ Talbot-Booth, E.C. (1943). Ranks and Badges in the Navy, Army, RAF and Auxiliaries (PDF). London: George Philip & Son, Ltd. p. 30.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Ministry of Defence
Armed Forces
Defence Council
Political
Military
Civil Service
  • Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence
  • Chief Scientific Adviser
  • Director-General Finance
  • Director-General Head Office and Commissioning Services
  • Director-General Nuclear
  • Director-General Security Policy
  • Lead Non-Executive Board Member
  • Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the People Committee
  • Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Audit Committee
  • Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Equipment and Support Board
Service boards
Service commands
Arm's-length bodies
Top-level budget agencies
managed on an arm's-length basis
Regulatory organisations
Intelligence
Non-departmental
public bodies
Category
  • v
  • t
  • e
Military ranks and insignia by country
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Former
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States with
limited recognition
  • Abkhazia
  • Artsakh
  • Palestine
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  • Taiwan (Republic of China)
Former
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States with
limited recognition
Former
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