Group Captain (Gp Capt in the RAF, GPCAPT in the RNZAF and RAAF, G/C in the former RCAF) is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force[1] and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. The Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF) is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore. Wing Commander ( Wg Cdr in the RAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, W/C in the former RCAF) is a commissioned Air Commodore ( Air Cdre in the RAF, AIRCDRE in the RNZAF and RAAF, A/C in the former RCAF) is a rank in The name of the rank is the complete phrase, and is never shortened to "Captain".
It has a NATO ranking code of OF-5, and is equivalent to a Captain in the Royal Navy or a Colonel in the British Army or the Royal Marines. The North Atlantic Treaty Please see Captain (naval for other versions of this naval rank The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy
The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) (until 1980) was Group Officer. Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service ( PMRAFNS) is the Nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.
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Origins
On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service Captains and Royal Flying Corps Colonels becoming Colonels in the RAF. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. 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. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) For example, the rank that later became Group Captain would have been Air Captain. 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. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. It was also suggested that RAF Colonels might be titled as Bannerets or Leaders. However, the rank title based on the Navy rank was preferred and as RAF Colonels typically commanded Groups the rank title Group Captain was chosen. Group is a term used by different Air forces for an element of Military organization. The rank of Group Captain has been used continuously since 1 August 1919. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
| Common military ranks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Navies1 | Armies2 | Air Forces3 |
| Admiral of the Fleet |
Field Marshal | Marshal of the Air Force |
| Admiral | General | Air Chief Marshal |
| Vice Admiral | Lt. General | Air Marshal |
| Rear Admiral | Major General | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Commodore | Brigadier | Air Commodore |
| Captain | Colonel | Group Captain |
| Commander | Lt. Colonel | Wing Commander |
| Lt. Commander | Major | Squadron Leader |
| Lieutenant | Captain | Flight Lieutenant |
| Sub-Lieutenant | Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
| Warrant Officer | Sergeant Major | Warrant Officer |
| Petty Officer | Sergeant | Sergeant |
| Leading Rate | Corporal | Corporal |
| Seaman | Private | Aircraftman |
| 1 in the English-speaking world 2 also some Air Forces 3 In many Commonwealth countries |
||
Usage
Although in the early years of the RAF groups were normally commanded by Group Captains, by the mid-1920s they were usually commanded by an Air Officer. Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines An Admiral of the Fleet or Fleet Admiral is a military Naval officer of the highest rank For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Marshal of the Air Force may be used as a generic term for a rank in some Air forces which use a similar title with their air force's name inserted as their most senior rank Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Air Chief Marshal ( Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a senior Air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force (RAF Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the This article is about the air force rank Air marshal (or Sky marshal) is also the term given to federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Air Vice-Marshal ( AVM) is an Air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. Commodore is a Military rank used in many navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy captain, but is less than This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Air Commodore ( Air Cdre in the RAF, AIRCDRE in the RNZAF and RAAF, A/C in the former RCAF) is a rank in For information specifically on the Royal Navy rank of captain see Captain (Royal Navy. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies Wing Commander ( Wg Cdr in the RAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, W/C in the former RCAF) is a commissioned Lieutenant Commander ( Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy) is a Commissioned officer rank in many navies Superior Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services Flight Lieutenant ( Flt Lt in the RAF; FLTLT in the RAAF and RNZAF, F/L in the former RCAF) is a junior Sub-Lieutenant is a military rank It is normally a junior officer rank Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services Flying Officer ( Fg Off in the RAF FLGOFF in the RAAF FGOFF in the RNZAF F/O in the former RCAF and frequently in the RAF is a junior commissioned A Warrant Officer ( WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. A Sergeant Major is a rank or appointment in many militaries around the world A Warrant Officer ( WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world Leading Rating (or Leading Rate) is the most senior of the junior rates in the British Royal Navy. Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in Aircraftman ( AC) or Aircraftwoman ( ACW) is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the Air forces of several other Commonwealth Group is a term used by different Air forces for an element of Military organization. An Air Officer is a British Royal Air Force officer of rank Air Commodore or higher The commander of an RAF flying station is typically a Group Captain. A Royal Air Force Station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. In the Air Training Corps, a Group Captain is the officer commanding of a region. The Air Training Corps ( ATC) is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom.
Insignia and command flag
The rank insignia is based on the four gold bands of Captains in the Royal Navy, comprising four narrow light blue bands over slightly wider black bands. Insignia (the plural of Latin insigne: emblem symbol is a Symbol or Token of personal power, Status or Office This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform. Group Captains are the first rank in the RAF hierarchy to wear gold braid on the peak of their cap, commonly known in the RAF as 'scrambled egg'; however, they still wear the standard RAF officer's cap badge.
The command pennant for a Group Captain is similar to the one for a Wing Commander except that there is one broad red band in the centre. Only the Wing Commander and Group Captain command pennants are triangular in shape.
Other air forces
The rank of Group Captain is also used in a number of the air forces in the Commonwealth, including the Bangladesh Air Force, Ghana Air Force, Indian Air Force (IAF), Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and the Sri Lankan Air Force. The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF ( Thai: กองทัพอากาศไทย Kong Thab Akat Thai is the Air force of the Kingdom of Thailand The Bangladesh Air Force (বাংলােদশ িবমান বািহনী Bangladesh Biman Bahini in Bangla) is the tactical and strategic air branch The Ghana Air Force ( GAF) is the Air force of the African nation of Ghana. The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the Pakistan Air Force ( Urdu: پاک فضائیہ, Pak Faza'ya) ( PAF) is the Aviation branch of the Pakistan armed forces The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF) is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Sri Lanka Air Force ( SLAF) is the aerial defence division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. It is also used in the Egyptian Air Force, Hellenic Air Force, Royal Air Force of Oman and the Royal Thai Air Force. The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF (القوات الجوية المصرية) is the aviation branch of the Egyptian armed forces. The Hellenic Air Force ( HAF) (in Πολεμική Αεροπορία ( ΠΑ) Polemikí Aeroporía, literally "Military Aviation" The Royal Air Force of Oman ( RAFO) is the air arm of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces History The Sultan of Oman's Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF ( Thai: กองทัพอากาศไทย Kong Thab Akat Thai is the Air force of the Kingdom of Thailand The Royal Canadian Air Force used the rank until the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, when Army-type rank titles were adopted. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence A Canadian Group Captain then became a Colonel. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country
Notable group captains
- Leonard Cheshire, World War II bomber pilot and charity worker. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
- Douglas Bader, World War II fighter pilot and double amputee. Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL, RAF (21 February 1910
- Peter Townsend, World War II pilot and suitor of Princess Margaret. Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend, CVO, DSO, DFC and Bar, RAF ( November 22, 1914 – June 19
- Hugh Dundas, World War II fighter pilot. Sir Hugh Dundas (1920-1995 nicknamed "Cocky", was a World War II fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force. Youngest person to hold this rank (age 24).
Use in fiction
- In the film Dr. Strangelove, Peter Sellers stars as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake. Richard Henry Sellers, CBE, commonly known as Peter Sellers ( 8 September 1925 &ndash 24 July 1980) was a British
- Jack Harkness in the fictional Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood, wears the rank slide of a Group Captain but is addressed, incorrectly as "Captain". Captain Jack Harkness Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing Torchwood is a British science fiction Drama Television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman However, in his initial appearance in Doctor Who he is incorrectly wearing the cap and insignia of a Squadron Leader.
- In the TV series Hogan's Heroes, RAF Group Captain Rodney Crittendon (Bernard Fox) is transferred to Stalag 13 by Colonel Klink because he is senior to Colonel Hogan. Hogan's Heroes is a American Television Situation comedy that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to July 4 Bernard Fox may refer to Bernard Fox (actor (born 1927 Bernard Fox (Irish republican (born c The character has recurring appearances in the series. In most of the programs he was referred to as "Colonel" and not "Group Captain".
- The website Weebl's Stuff features a game called "Group Captain Suave vs a Large Monkey". Weebl's Stuff is a website showcasing Flash animations created by Jonti "Weebl" Picking and others including the popular Weebl and Bob In the game the Group Captain incorrectly addresses himself as "Captain. "[1]
- In the Hit Tv Show The Prisoner in the episode Many Happy Returns when Number Six go to see his old boss and they talk about the village there is a Commander from the Royal Navy and a Group Captain from the RAF
- In the Tv show Doctor Who in the episode called World War Three and all the Slitheen are coming 10 Downing Street in there human body's suits there is a Group Captain called Tennant James
See also
References
- ^ Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force. The Prisoner is an allegorical British 1960s Science fiction television series starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The Slitheen are a family of massive bipedal extraterrestrials from the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who and adversaries Origins Lieutenant-General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a combination of British Army and Royal Navy This article is a list of various States Armed forces ranking designations Royal Air Force (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
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