British army - National Service

[smallisles]

Hello

My late relative did two years NS in the early 1950's. He died recently.

On his Suez Canal it gives his name, number and rank. The rank is PTE - Private. However, the man himself always claimed he was a Corporal. His service record mentions PTE throughout. I am baffled but maybe he was promoted but it was never recorded - or he just was pulling our legs!!

Ant experts care to help shed any light. Many thanks

[Jebber]

If he had been appointed Lance Corporal, and  then promoted to Corporal it would be in his service records. I think he “promoted”  himself for the benefit of family and friends, it was not unknown.

[smallisles]

Thanks Jebber.

Did they even have "acting" lance corporal etc or was it all done on a formal basis on paper?

[Andy J2022]

It's possible that he was awarded local rank of Lance Corporal. This was the Commanding Officer's discretion, if the man was doing a job which was normally done by a substantive Lance Corporal. Employments such as post orderly or company clerk were sometimes given to soldiers along with local rank. Local rank was unpaid and didn't count towards seniority, and it wouldn't necessarily have been recorded on his service record. A Lance Corporal would have been referred to as a corporal colloquilally.

[smallisles]

Thank you Jebber and Andy

[smallisles]

Andy

I understand what you say. Would an acting corporal be given stripes to wear even thought it would not count for pay or service record? Thanks

[Andy J2022]

I didn't say acting rank. If he had been acting he would have been paid and it would have been recorded on his docs at the Record Office (the one in the UK, not the Unit Orderly Room). He would also wear the stripe.

With local rank he would wear the stripe, but not get paid at the rate for a lance corporal, The reason it's called local is that it is entirely at the CO's discretion if he has a vacancy in the rank. But If the soldier gets posted away from his unit he automatically relinquishes any local rank.

Acting rank can go with him if he is posted away from his unit because that is authorised by the Record Office.

[smallisles]

Thank you. I understand the difference between acting and local.