Origins
On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service lieutenants (entitled flight lieutenants and flight commanders) and Royal Flying Corps captains becoming captains in the RAF. In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the current rank of flight lieutenant would have been "air lieutenant". Although the Admiralty objected to this simple modification of their rank titles, it was agreed that the RAF might base many of its officer rank titles on navy officer ranks with differing pre-modifying terms. It was also suggested that RAF captains might be entitled flight-leaders. However, the rank title flight lieutenant was chosen as flights were typically commanded by RAF captains and the term flight lieutenant had been used in the Royal Naval Air Service. The rank of flight lieutenant has been used continuously since 1 August 1919.
| Common anglophone military ranks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Navies | Armies | Air forces |
| Officers | ||
| Admiral of the fleet | Marshal / field marshal |
Marshal of the Air Force |
| Admiral | General | Air marshal |
| Commodore | Brigadier | Air commodore |
| Captain | Colonel | Group captain |
| Commander | Lieutenant colonel | Wing commander |
| Lieutenant commander |
Major / commandant |
Squadron leader |
| Lieutenant | Captain | Flight lieutenant |
| Sub-lieutenant | Lieutenant | Flying officer |
| Ensign | 2nd lieutenant | Pilot officer |
| Midshipman | Officer cadet | Officer cadet |
| Seamen, soldiers and airmen | ||
| Warrant officer | Sergeant major | Warrant officer |
| Petty officer | Sergeant | Sergeant |
| Leading seaman | Corporal | Corporal |
| Seaman | Private | Aircraftman |
Read more about this topic: Flight Lieutenant
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