Ranks and insignia of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force officers

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The following ranks and insignia are for the officers of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force.

Ranks

Air officers

NATO equivalent Rank Cuff
insignia
Shoulder
insignia
OF-10 Marshal of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force[1] Marshal of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force Marshal of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force
OF-9 Air Chief Marshal[2] Air Chief Marshal Air Chief Marshal
OF-8 Air Marshal Air Marshal Air Marshal
OF-7 Air Vice Marshal Air Vice Marshal Air Vice Marshal
OF-6 Air Commodore Air Commodore Air Commodore

Senior officers

NATO equivalent Rank Cuff
insignia
Shoulder
insignia
OF-5 Colonel Colonel Colonel
OF-4 Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel
OF-3 Major Major Major

Junior officers

NATO equivalent Rank Cuff
insignia
Shoulder
insignia
OF-2 Captain Captain Captain
OF-1 Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant

Officer cadets

NATO equivalent Rank Cuff
insignia
Shoulder
insignia
OF(D) Officer Cadet Officer Cadet Officer Cadet

History

Background and origins

When the Royal New Ingerland Air Force was founded in 1938, the officer ranks and insignia were copied straight from Ingerish Royal Air Force. Under this system, the ranks (from top to bottom) were as follows:

  • Marshal of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force
  • Air Chief Marshal
  • Air Marshal
  • Air Vice-Marshal
  • Air Commodore
  • Group Captain
  • Wing Commander
  • Squadron Leader
  • Flight Lieutenant
  • Flying Officer
  • Pilot Officer

At the formation of the Air Force, the name of the ranks also referred to the unit an officer commanded, e.g. A wing commander would be in charge of a wing, a squadron leader commanded a squadron, &c. However, by the time Japan declared war on New Ingerland in late 1941, this situation no longer applied to air units, with a unit often commanded by an officer of the next highest rank. On some ground units, the connexion remained in certain instances.

This system of Imperial ranks and insignia remained in place until the reforms made to the Defence Force in 1972. As well as a major downsizing and reorganisation in structure, the Air Force also opted to adopt Army style ranks for it's staff and junior officers. The ranks of senior officers and NCO's remained as they were, as did the Ingerish style insignia that had been in use since 1938. This system, as reformed in 1972, remains in place today.

See also

References and notes

  1. The rank of Marshal of the Royal New Ingerland Air Force is presently held only by the Sovereign.
  2. The rank of Air Chief Marshal is currently in abeyance.