Temporary Ranks & Emergency Commissions

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Uncle Target, Nov 17, 2021.

  1. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    British Army Captain Temoporary Major, Lt Temporary Captain, Emergency Commission.
    Wartime NCO Ranks.
    What do these mean and why.
     
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  2. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    So many (seemingly Territorial Officers and NCO's) are listed as Temporary or Wartime promotions. To people today this might seem somewhat demeaning.
    What was the reasoning behind this.
     
  3. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Possibly a concern that post war - with many demobbed conscripts - there would be large numbers of senior ranks / NCO's and fewer positions that required them in those roles?

    ----------

    Edit : Thanks ;-) I thought you'd be most probably aware of this (above) ;-) and a more complex nuanced answer might be a better fit, but I'd always assumed that there was "probably a lot more to it" - though having a lot in "Temporary" - war time only - posts was quite expedient.

    Incidentally, a tad tangential too is the below, which touches upon the "Officer Class"

    https://podbay.fm/p/we-have-ways-of-making-you-talk/e/1636423200

    SHOW NOTES
    The British Army relied heavily on public school boys for its officer class at the start of the war but was forced to abandon its class prejudice as the conflict took its toll. Al Murray and James Holland explore the way in which the war forced a more egalitarian approach to army recruitment.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
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  4. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Yes Ramiles I think that was a great part of the official reasoning behind it. It would be good to get a more official viewpoint from "the book" whichever one pops up.
    Just a quick precis in plain language if possible. We seem to have collectors and readers of such material on the forum.
    I believe that regarding Emergency Commissions all WW2 Commissions were Emergency as Sandhurst College the only Regular Officer Training College was closed.
    All OCTU Commissions had to be verified if the holders remained in service post war.
    Was this simply reverting to tradition, or did they not regard the Staff or Graduates of OCTU's as up to pre war social standards, where officers were selected born part of a specific military class. (Read: General Sir Ronald Forbes Adam).
    Similar post war confirmations were it seems required by other ranks.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
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  5. RAFCommands

    RAFCommands Senior Member

    I can only offer RAF related detail but there is overlap due to Parlimentary actions.

    For RAF pre war officer intake was on Short Service Commission or Permanent and this general context did not change in wartime and still followed the Kings Regulations and Air Council Instructions.

    The treasury had set limits on annual intake size and RAF strength based on fiscal spending and establishment.

    So for each war year a portion of the Officer intake was still done as the treasury limit on permanent commission. Short Service commission was increased beyond treasury limit by use of Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 but with the duration being changed from a finite time to "the duration of the present emergency"

    So RAF had officers on Permanent, pre war Short Service and wartime Present Emergency but as war progressed those coming out of Short Service were either retained on Permanent or transferred to Present Emergency. This may explain your Army Emergency Commission.

    Temporary Rank in the RAF was linked to Unit Establishment - establishment list said for a defined post the rank to be held was xxxx. Units were encouraged to fill vacant establishment posts with suitably skilled and competent Officers currently posted to the unit as Supernumary (eg command manpower reserve).

    If the unit did this action then to give the authority required of post a junior ranked Officer would be made Temporary while he held the establishment post. If in post for a time then promotion would be forthcoming to the required rank. If posted out he would revert to Seniority Rank.

    Similar situation for NCO but this was more on trade group supervision/admin ability than establishment. Way of probationary period in rank to confirm if capable of meeting expectations.

    Another reason for Present Emergency was the Auxiliary Air Force, in common with Territorial Army had legal restrictions in use or posting of enrolled members outside UK. RAF way of dealing was to use RAFVR conditions that did not have this territory limit so all Wartime entry was to RAFVR not AAF and when legal changes were made to reserve force conditions they were applied to serving AAF men.

    On outbreak of global peace - treasury happy as they could shed all those with present emergency commission or RAFVR conditions. Those that expressed desire to stay in RAF were put through pre war peacetime Commission Board then if suitable taken on as either permanent or new short service time limited.

    Ross
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
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  6. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Something I have wondered about is how later referencing worked - being aware of numerous examples, particularly in post ww2 fiction of references to "The Captain" or "The Major" or "The Brigadier" - as a "title" used by an individual in a post army career or in retired life.

    Wondering if presumably this worked on their most senior role, whether temporary or not, and whether there would be those in their environs muttering under their breath "temporary" every time "the Brigadier" or "the Colonel" or "the Major" was mentioned etc.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
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  7. RAFCommands

    RAFCommands Senior Member

    KR and ACI 1941
    2 Subject to clause 3 an officer (permanent, short service, medium service, or temporary) who served in the Great War may be permitted to retain on leaving the service any rank for which he is eligible under the regulations in force during that war.

    3 Retention of rank will be dependent upon the officer's services having been satisfactory throughout his career and the Air Council reserve the right to withhold this privilege at their discression.

    Ross
     
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  8. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Thanks for the answers to date. It irks me somewhat as the NA Records and similar give the lower rank followed by Temporary as though the Officer was not what relatives expected i.e. Major xxx MC was Battery Commander during the Tunisia and Italian Campaign but reading his citation he is Captain Temporary Major. All his correspondence was addressed to Major xxx. His CWGC Gravestone states he was a Major.
    One instance caused some confusion when researching a Captain as he was transferred within his Brigade to a second Regiment short of officers, reverting to his substantive rank of Lieutenant. He was killed and buried as a Lieutenant in his new Regiment but twelve months later CWGC changed his record to comply with his rank in his parent unit raising him back to Captain. His Death Cert listed him as having an Emergency Commission. Whilst I understand this and am aware of War Establishment, relatives can get quite upset.
    I have also come across an instance where a Sgt Major was wounded in Tunisia and evacuated to Algiers.
    He was initially listed as missing but the Regt were of a mind that he was alive. Three months later he returned fit and well to take back his duties. The man promoted to replace him then had to step down a rank to meet War Establishment figures, this rattled its way down the ranks. Everyone understood at the time but later relatives are not so well informed.
    It is something to be aware of and have explanations ready for the grandchildren.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
  9. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY

    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
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  10. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    The wonderful world of international Military administration. One might innocently think it was all done to confuse the enemy but more likely to confuse the taxpayer.
    Plenty of examples but no simple explanation from official papers. It might, if available, cause a data outage so probably best left be.
    Thank you for now.
    I will keep an eye out for any more postings on this subject.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2021
  11. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    This seems like an appropriate place to ask - I am just looking at a medal citation and the rank given for the man is "W/Lieut.". Does that mean 'temporary' or 'acting' or something like that? (Wartime?)
     
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  12. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    You see it written as W/ or more often WS/ meaning War Substantive (ie not acting or temporary).

    As the army expanded rapidly during the war the WS prefix was used in promotions and gave the army the opportunity to “pick and choose” officers to retain as the establishment inevitably shrunk post war. “Hostilities only” officers could apply for or be appointed to regular commissions when the peacetime establishment returned.

    There was a similar process for other ranks where the phrase “Shadow rank” appears in service records I’ve seen into the early 1950’s ie Promoted CSM (shadow rank Sgt) - again a mechanism to control numbers when the peacetime establishment was restored.

    I’m sure there was an Army Council order authorising the readoption of the “peacetime establishment” from a given date.

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2021
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  13. JohnP49

    JohnP49 New Member

    My father when serving in the BAOR in the early 1950's was a WOII but had a shadow rank of Staff Sergeant. When he left the army he was awarded an "honour rank" of WOII.
     
  14. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    For a simplified answer see #12 above.
    There is a difference between Substantive, Temporary and Honorary ranks.
    A substantive rank is permanent the others are not.

    What is referred to above a" Shadow Rank" would be the substantive permanent rank.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2024
  15. JohnP49

    JohnP49 New Member

    Thanks for the information Uncle Target.
    Looking at my father's records I can see different classes of rank. Acting Unpaid, Acting Paid, War Substantive, Shadow Rank etc. He had joined up aged 15 in 1940 and was sent to Arborfield Army Technical School as a RAOC trainee clerk. His first rank was Bugler. Throughout the war he was attached to the 6th Airborne and took part in the Normandy landings, Battle of the Bulge, Operation Varsity and finally ending up at Wismar on the Baltic coast. Throughout this time his rank was Acting Corporal. After the war he spent about two and a half years in Palestine and his rank by 1948 was Acting WOII. A further four years in the BAOR and leading a team of nine German civilians in the Central Purchase Unit at HQ Bad Oeynhausen his rank remained static. His pay went down by 2/6 a week when he stopped being a parachutist. He was eventually discharged for medical reasons (deafness and a stomach ulcer) at the end of 1952.
     

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