RAF Ranks WW1

I had forgotten that there was an interim uniform introduced in 1918 – that was absolutely hated by most RAF officers…

Just to clarify my comment above… I meant that the colour of the uniform was unpopular – the rank braid/lace looked pretty good with the bird and crown above it – I thought anyway : )
Of course the eventual and so far permanent RAF uniform colour (crabfat) was much less unpopular but I can understand the ww1 officers being reluctant to change from the Army colours that they had worn for some years previously !

And for the “Other Ranks”… (Not Officer material; don’t you know, chaps)…

Air Force Memorandum 2 specified ranks. 1st April 1918… (Ranks 1,2,and 3 were former designations.)

1. Chief master mechanic.
2. Master clerk. (Re-named chief master clerk, 28th November, 1918.)
3. Sergeant major, 1st class.
All three became Sergeant major, 1st class as of 1st January 1919.

1. Master mechanic.
2. Master clerk. (Introduced from 28th November, 1918.)
3. Sergeant major, 2nd class.
All three became Sergeant major, 2nd class as of 1st January 1919.

1. Chief mechanic.
2. Flight clerk.
3. Flight sergeant.
All three became Flight sergeant as of 1st January 1919.

1. Sergeant mechanic.
2. Sergeant clerk.
3. Sergeant.
All three became Sergeant as of 1st January 1919.

1. Corporal mechanic.
2. Corporal clerk.
3. Corporal.
All three became Corporal as of 1st January 1919.

1. Air mechanic, 1st class.
2. Clerk, 1st class.
3. Leading aircraftman. (Introduced 5th April, 1919. Applicable to all privates, 1st Class,
who were on that date in receipt of a daily rate of not less than 2 shillings.)
All three became Leading aircraftman as of 1st January 1919.

1. Air mechanic, 2nd class.
2. Clerk, 2nd class.
3. Private, 1st class.
All three became Aircraftman, 1st class as of 1st January 1919.

1. Air mechanic, 3rd class.
2. Clerk, 3rd class.
3. Private, 2nd class.
All three became Aircraftman, 2nd class as of 1st January 1919.

And that’s how it remained until 1946.

In case anybody has not seen an Interim RAF officers sleeve insignia – this is the original 2nd Lt sleeve insignia.

Higher ranks had the Rank ‘Rings’ (Lace) underneath the Bird and Crown badge

As an aside – these are the RAF ‘interim rank insignia’ from a 1918 Flight Mag

2nd Lieut. No lace, but bird and crown on both sleeves
where lace would otherwise be.
Lieut. .. One row of distinction lace surmounted by bird
and crown.
Captain .. Two rows of distinction lace surmounted by
bird and crown.
Major .. Two and a half rows of distinction lace surmounted
by bird and crown.
Lieut.-Col. Three rows of distinction lace surmounted by
bird and crown.
Col. ,. Four rows of distinction lace surmounted by
bird and crown.
Brig.-Gen. One broad row of distinction lace surmounted by
bird and crown.
Maj.-Gen. One broad row and one ordinary row of distinction
lace surmounted by bird and crown.
Lieut.-Gen. One broad and two ordinary rows of distinction
lace surmounted by bird and crown.
General .. One broad row and three ordinary rows of distinction
lace surmounted by bird and crown
.
Trousers and Breeches.—As now worn by the R.F.C.
Shirts and Collars.—Khaki shirts and collars with black ties.

Footgear.—With breeches—brown field boots or brown
boots with puttees or gaiters or brown stockings with shoes
for aerodrome and similar wear. With trousers—brown boots
or shoes with brown socks.

As noted in post 3 – a 2nd Lt later got a thin braid as well as the bird and crown

I had forgotten that there was an interim uniform introduced in 1918 – that was absolutely hated by most RAF officers…

quoted from wiki for speed LOL…

On 1 April 1918, Air Force Memorandum 2 specified rank insignia for the newly established independent force. Rank was to be worn on the jacket cuff and was derived from the Royal Navy’s rings, each equivalent rank having the same number of rings. However, second lieutenants (later pilot officers) displayed a crowned eagle only and the Navy’s loop was not used for any rank. Depending on the uniform, either gold or pale blue on grey braid was worn.

In August 1918, Air Ministry Weekly Order 617 added a single band of 1/4 inch braid below the second lieutenant’s eagle and all other officer ranks also received a crowned eagle above their braid.

.

I am sure that it suited the garish blue uniform originally introduced for the RAF : )

Probably a difficult question to answer : )
From the RAF/MOD website….

4 Aug 1919- Inter-service squabbling in the wake of massive post-war defence cuts reaches a new low when the Army and Navy refuse to allow the RAF to use their officer ranks, forcing Trenchard to create new ones. The new rank titles (Pilot Officer, Flight Lieutenant etc.) came into being on this date.

Many RFC officers would probably have hated the new rank structure – it was a little ‘false’ and TBH the RAF rank structure has always been a little ‘bizarre’ as due to ‘Rank Inflation’ – the senior ranks do not necessarily match the job/post and of course a pilot officer is not necessarily a pilot and a flying officer does not always fly but Trenchard and his staff obviously had to come up with a rank structure and the one chosen was not as bad as the other suggestion.
Perhaps also the chosen structure and ranks went some way to mollify disgruntled ex RNAS officers since it was broadly based on the navy rank structure/insignia (please note – I am only commenting on comissioned ranks ! )

So I believe that there would have been a gradual and grudging change over to the new system and (say) an RFC Captain might have felt ‘demoted’ to the new equivalent rank of Flight Lt because it sounded junior,of course newer officers coming out of training would automatically be issued the new ‘gay’ uniform and ranks.
As far as I remember some older officers still preferred their Army title many years after 1919 but I am sure that eventually a directive would have gone out from ‘Their Airships’ at some point in the early twenties to ensure the new uniforms/ranks were being used.

rgds baz