Question about Majors in the WW2 British Army

[Colin Williams]

Quick question for those of the Britannic Ilk -

 

As I understand it, in WW2 a Major in an infantry battalion or brigade could be

1. A company commander

2. A brigade major staff officer at brigade HQ

3. Second in command of a battalion

 

I believe the same was true in tank/armoured units but with the company replaced by the squadron.

 

I imagine that being 2ic was the highest level appointment for a Major, but what about the other two? Would it be expected, for example, for a Captain to be promoted through company command and then a staff appointment as Brigade Major? Would a Major with experience as a company commander consider Brigade Major a step down in status? Or was it just a jumble with officers moving back and forth between field and staff positions without implications for status or seniority until one earned a Lt. Colonelcy?

[67th Tigers]

Quick question for those of the Britannic Ilk -

 

As I understand it, in WW2 a Major in an infantry battalion or brigade could be

1. A company commander

2. A brigade major staff officer at brigade HQ

3. Second in command of a battalion

 

I believe the same was true in tank/armoured units but with the company replaced by the squadron.

 

I imagine that being 2ic was the highest level appointment for a Major, but what about the other two? Would it be expected, for example, for a Captain to be promoted through company command and then a staff appointment as Brigade Major? Would a Major with experience as a company commander consider Brigade Major a step down in status? Or was it just a jumble with officers moving back and forth between field and staff positions without implications for status or seniority until one earned a Lt. Colonelcy?

 

The comparitive seniority is:

 

Brigade Major (scaled Maj-Lt Col)

Senior Major (Bn 2i/c)

Officer Commanding (Coy Comd)

 

However, like Capt, Maj is a split rank*, with junior and senior divisions (but with much less effect), the later being qualified for higher staff or Bn Comd. The former being OC's, some Adjutants (scaled snr Capt - jnr Maj, most being Snr Capt), IO's etc.

 

Being wartime the system didn't work perfectly though, and maybe 10% of Majs managed to dodge Staff College....

 

 

* The senior division being entered into by Junior Staff College for Capts and Staff College for Majs.

[Colin Williams]

The comparitive seniority is:

 

Brigade Major (scaled Maj-Lt Col)

Senior Major (Bn 2i/c)

Officer Commanding (Coy Comd)

 

However, like Capt, Maj is a split rank*, with junior and senior divisions (but with much less effect), the later being qualified for higher staff or Bn Comd. The former being OC's, some Adjutants (scaled snr Capt - jnr Maj, most being Snr Capt), IO's etc.

 

Being wartime the system didn't work perfectly though, and maybe 10% of Majs managed to dodge Staff College....

* The senior division being entered into by Junior Staff College for Capts and Staff College for Majs.

 

Thanks 67th!

 

I suppose this also applied to Lt. Colonels, with the GSO1 of a division having seniority over a battalion CO? It does seem clear at the Lt. Colonel level that some field command experience was usually needed to make the jump to Brigade command, as I know of at least a couple of cases of former GSO1s taking over battalions before stepping back into the higher levels of staff appointments.

[67th Tigers]

Thanks 67th!

 

I suppose this also applied to Lt. Colonels, with the GSO1 of a division having seniority over a battalion CO? It does seem clear at the Lt. Colonel level that some field command experience was usually needed to make the jump to Brigade command, as I know of at least a couple of cases of former GSO1s taking over battalions before stepping back into the higher levels of staff appointments.

 

Commanding Officers are special, and senior to SO1's or any other staff officer (possibly including full Cols?). They (COs) are the cream of Lt Cols and advancement beyond Lt Col is entirely dependent on performance as CO.

 

You can consider Lt Cols split as well, between a junior division (SO1 etc.) and those who've been selected to be CO. In peacetime it would be normal for the Senior Major to go to another staff job as Lt Col before going back as CO.

[capt_starlight]

Not all Brigade Majors were actually Majors - there were many instances where a Captain had to fill the role particularly during the rapid expansion pahse early in the war or when casualties meant that there was simply a shortage of suitable Majors.

 

Did the classification of "senior"/"junior" streams actually occur in WW2 or was that a post war reaction ?

 

I have read of many cases where Majors were promoted Lt Col and made Bn COs without going through the staff appointments - particularly in the more "remote" theatres where officers were in short supply (like Italy, ME or FE).

[67th Tigers]

Not all Brigade Majors were actually Majors - there were many instances where a Captain had to fill the role particularly during the rapid expansion pahse early in the war or when casualties meant that there was simply a shortage of suitable Majors.

 

Did the classification of "senior"/"junior" streams actually occur in WW2 or was that a post war reaction ?

 

I have read of many cases where Majors were promoted Lt Col and made Bn COs without going through the staff appointments - particularly in the more "remote" theatres where officers were in short supply (like Italy, ME or FE).

 

When Snr Capts got the Bde Maj slot, they were often Breveted to Major

 

The disconnect really seems to start in 1913, when the British moved from a 8 to 4 coy system. Upto this point, a rank and the responsibilities was fairly clear, Capts are OCs (Coy Comds), the 2 Majs (or Maj and Lt Col if the CO had made full Col) commanded a wing of 4 coys. When the new system was brought in, OCs were ranged Capt to Maj, with a 2i/c being a Capt. They thus lumped OCs together as a Snr Capt/ Jnr Maj grade (in the regulars all OCs were supposed to be Jnr Majs, but in the New Army only one Coy would have a Jnr Maj, the other three being Snr Capts).

 

In theatre in WW2, of course things never worked to plan. Pulling a Jnr Maj out of his Bn for a year at Staff College just isn't being to happen....

[baboon6]

When Snr Capts got the Bde Maj slot, they were often Breveted to Major

 

The disconnect really seems to start in 1913, when the British moved from a 8 to 4 coy system. Upto this point, a rank and the responsibilities was fairly clear, Capts are OCs (Coy Comds), the 2 Majs (or Maj and Lt Col if the CO had made full Col) commanded a wing of 4 coys. When the new system was brought in, OCs were ranged Capt to Maj, with a 2i/c being a Capt. They thus lumped OCs together as a Snr Capt/ Jnr Maj grade (in the regulars all OCs were supposed to be Jnr Majs, but in the New Army only one Coy would have a Jnr Maj, the other three being Snr Capts).

 

In theatre in WW2, of course things never worked to plan. Pulling a Jnr Maj out of his Bn for a year at Staff College just isn't being to happen....

 

From what I've read about the situation in WW2, up until 1943 it was pretty much standard in an infantry battalion for two of the rifle coys to have Majors as OCs and the other two to be commanded by Capts. It was then decided that all OCs should be Majs but as you wrote it was never really achieved. AFAIK armoured squadrons and artillery batteries always rated a Maj as OC though of course (as in the infantry) Capts might have commanded for short periods of time, either temporarily or before being made up to Acting Major. One thing about the British/Commonwealth armies was that if you got the job you usually quite soon (if not immediately) got the rank that went with it, though it might be temporary/acting/local. If you look at the relevant Army Lists you can find examples of an officer (David Sutherland of the Black Watch in this case, commanding the Special Boat Service at the time) being a substantive Lt, war-substantive Capt, temporary Maj and acting Lt Col. This was not uncommon towards the end of the war when OCs, COs and brigade and divisional commanders were getting younger and younger. If I'm not mistaken Dick Hull was still a substantive Capt when he was an acting Maj. Gen and GOC 1st Armoured Div!

 

Re Staff College, during the war it was reduced to 6 months in length and sometimes even further.