RAF Ranks

[milly143]

Can someone tell me all the ranks, i.e. Officer, Sgt for the RAF from the lowest to the highest, please.

[Davethedog]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_officer_ranks

[Wak]

Starting at the bottom, you have Air Craftsman grade 2 (AC2), AC1, Leading Air Craftsman, Corporal, Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer, then the commissioned officers listed in the above link.
It's over 60 years since I was in the RAF so things could have changed since then or I could have forgotten and left a rank out. However, the above will give you something to go on.

[mollykins]

I don't think you missed any rates out wak.

[milly143]

Thanks for the answers. I just wondered how high up a sergeant was really.

[ABerrant]

The lower half of the list...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_other_ranks

[alexanderd]

wak you missed out senior aircratsman and junior technician, between LAC and Corporal

[ABerrant]

There must only be a handful of Jelly Tots left in the service since the 2005 introduction of SAC(T).

[Wak]

Sorry Alexanderd, you'll have to put that omission down to a Senior mental moment.
Did they have those ranks in 1948/9???

[poodicat]

Do they stiill have a chief technician as a rank..

[Wak]

Chief Technician sounds more like a job description than a rank.

[mike11111]

Although I've been out for 40 years i believe the offficer ranks have not changed since their inception. Non-commissioned ranks have altered over the years. When I joined in 1968 they were: AC, LAC, SAC, CPL, SGT, FLT SGT and WO. Between SAC and CPL you had JT(Junior tech, certain trades only) and between SGT and FLT SGT CHIEF TECH, but I believe the technician ranks have been phased out.

There was also at that time, when the school-leaving age was 15, the rank of AA (admin apprentice) commonly called brats.

[poodicat]

Hi mike, my dad was a chief tech,what trade were you?

[mike11111]

Just to clarify further, a JT was equivalent to an SAC but wore four props instead of three and got a few bob a week more because of his technical knowledge. Same applies to a CT who was a sergeant in effect, in a technical trade.

[mike11111]

My trade was clerk accounting, the top of the tree. Both officers and NCOs used to curry favour with me because a) I was good at my job and fiddling the system so people could get paid earlier than they were entitled to, and b) if they ever upset me, I could seriously f*ck up their finances, which would take weeks to sort out. I have lost count of the number of times I arranged for a hard-up cook to get paid a day early on the spurious grounds that he was on stand down at the official pay parade. My superiors never suspected a thing. The free steaks from the mess were, of course,a welcome thank you gift. Not bad for a humble SAC, eh?

[poodicat]

You had the power lol, i was supply we are some perks as well...

[ABerrant]

It never fails to surprise me when a thread continues with queries being posted after a link that answers them already exists.

[poodicat]

Come on berrant,some people work and dont reply instantly,they want to speak about their time in the forces...

[ABerrant]

I'm not making reference to the banter, but specifics along the lines of "did such-and-such rank exist then?" and "is that still a rank?".

The wiki posted 4 hours earlier addresses the history of other ranks in the RAF.

[Skids]

In NATO rank code (which can be translated across to almost any other armed force in the world) bottom to top:

OR-1 Aircraftman
OR-2 Leading Aircraftman, Senior Aircraftman, Senior Aircraftman (Tech.)
(note: Leading is junior to Senior)
OR-4 Corporal
OR-6 Sergeant, Sergeant Aircrew
OR-7 Flight Sergeant, Flight Sergeant Aircrew, Chief Technician
OR-9 Warrant Officer, Master Aircrew
(The RAF does not have equivalent to OR-3 or OR-8, HM Armed Forces does not have equivalent to OR-5.)

OF(D) Officer Designate
OF-1 Pilot Officer, Flying Officer
(note: Pilot is junior to Flying)
OF-2 Flight Lieutenant
OF-3 Squadron Leader
OF-4 Wing Commander
OF-5 Group Captain
OF-6 Air Commodore
OF-7 Air Vice Marshall
OF-8 Air Marshall
OF-9 Air Chief Marshall
OF-10 Marshall of the RAF
(OF-10 is a war time rank only, as required.)