MILITARY ETIQUETTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4816, 13 March 1918, Page 3

MILITARY ETIQUETTE.

HOW TO ADDRESS AN OFFICER. A correspondent lias written to the Wellington Post asking the correct wa v to address, or introduce, officers, secoiid-lieutenants and lieutenants. Inquiries made in official quarters elicited tile! following reply: Lieutenants and second-lieutenants generally known in the service as “subaltern officers,” are addressed on and off parade, both by civilians and soldiers, as “Mr.” Private and unofficial letters are address as “J. Jones, Esq.” Regiment, etc. The military rank of lieutenant or second-lieutenant is inserted only in official communications. The only time a subaltern is referred to verbally as lieutenant or second-lieuten-ant is when he is awaiting trial by court-martial. A subaltern’s visiting card should, always be inscribed in lilie following manner:—“Mr J. Jones, Regiment.” etc. Letters addressed ■ to a captain or officer of higher rank should always bear the officer’s rank and unit, but, in addressing such officers verbally, it is unusual to use the rank without the surname unless the nerson addressing the officer concerned is on terms of friendship with him. .Thus, a stranger would usually address a senior officer as “Major Brown.” or “Colonel Smith,” but those officers’ friends might address them merely as “Colonel” or “Major.” A captain is never, addressed merely as “Captain.” His rank and surname should always be used, but bis friends would naturallv address him by his surname or a nickname. Chaplains, who do not hold military rank, are not referred to as captains* majors, etc. The compound term of “Chaplain-Colonel,” “Chaplain Major,” etc. is equally incorrect. A chaplain would be introduced to a stranger as “Mr So-and-So,” but in the service he is colloquially addressed and referred to as “PadreJ’ Letters should he addressed to him as follows:—“Rev. John Smith, Chaplain to the Forces,” etc.