COLONEL-GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 30 November 1938, Page 8

COLONEL-GENERAL

A PI*ARENT PA R A DOX IBy Air Mail—Own Correspondent 1 LONDON, 10th November. \N « now have no Army rank con es, ponding to that of Colonel General to which General Keitel has just been promoted. In the German Army it ranks next to Field-Marshal. Some people are puzzled hy apparent paradox of Army ranks. Our grades above Colonels are Brigadier, Major-General, Lieutenant. General, and Field Marshal. A MajorGeneral is thus below a Lieutenant-Gen-eral, which seems odd. The explanation, which is quite simple, takes us back to early days when the lank of CaptainGeneral also existed. Actually a Major. General used originally to be SergeantMajor General, a fact which, if realised, removes the anomaly of a Major-General ranking below a Lieutenant-General. Military tradition in Europe, which is very ancient, is full of pitfalls for the unwary, and all manner of red-tab conventions. A conundrum sometimes propounded in Western Europe eslams used to he when i« a Sergeant-Major entitled to draw Ins sword? The answer is—only once—when regimental colours are presented.