Lieutenant-Colonel (United Kingdom)

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Please see "Lieutenant Colonel" for other countries which use this rank

Lieutenant-Colonel is a British rank used in several Commonwealth countries superior to Major and subordinate to Colonel. The comparable naval rank is Commander and the comparable rank in many Commonwealth air forces is Wing Commander.

In the British Army and Royal Marines, as well as those Commonwealth countries which recognise Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State (except Canada), a lieutenant-colonel wears a crown above a pip. The crown has varied in the past with different monarchs; the current one being the Crown of St Edward. Most other Commonwealth countries use the same insignia, with the state emblem replacing the crown. The insignia in the Canadian Forces is three horizontal bars or rings of equal width. This stems from the merger of the Canadian armed forces in 1968 and emulates the insignia of the equivalent naval rank of Commander. In modern British forces, a Lieutenant-Colonel usually commands a regiment (in the artillery and armoured regiments) or a battalion in the Infantry.

From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of lieutenant colonel. It was superseded by the rank of wing commander on the following day.

v • d • e Commissioned Officer ranks of the British Armed Forces
	Student Officer	OF(D)	OF-1		OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9	OF-10
Royal Navy	O Cdt	Mid	SLt		Lt	Lt Cdr	Cdr	Capt	Cdre	RAdm	VAdm	Adm	Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines			2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj-Gen	Lt Gen	Gen
Army	O Cdt		2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj-Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	FM
Royal Air Force	OC		APO / Plt Off	Fg Off	Flt Lt	Sqn Ldr	Wg Cdr	Gp Capt	Air Cdre	AVM	Air Mshl	Air Chf Mshl	MRAF