Rank and Responsibility

►Table of Ranks & Responsibilities ►Table of Ranks & Appointments ►Staff Officers ►Rank & Appt Abbreviations

Ranks ►Generals ►►General ►►Lieutenant General ►►Major General ►►Brigadier General ►Officers ►►Brigadier (1928-1968) ►►Col.-Commandant (1922-1928) ►►Colonel ►►Lieutenant Colonel ►►Major ►►Captain ►►Lieutenant ►►2nd Lieutenant ►►Officer Cadet ►Warrant Officers ►►Chief Warrant Officer (1968-) ►►W.O. Class I (1915-1968) ►►Master Warrant Officer (1968-) ►►W.O. Class II (1915-1968) ►►Warrant Officer (1968-) ►►W.O. Class III (1939-1945) ►Non-Commissioned Officers ►►Staff Sergeant (1900-1968) ►►Sergeant ►►Lance Sergeant (1900-1968) ►►Master Corporal (1968-2000+) ►►Corporal ►►Lance Corporal  (1900-1968) ►Non-Commissioned Mbrs (Men) ►►Private

Appointments ►Conductor ►Master Gunner ►Platoon Sergeant Major

Honorary Ranks ►Colonel-in-Chief ►Colonel of the Regiment ►Honorary Colonel ►Colonel Commandant

Staff Sergeant

Staff Sergeant was a rank in the pre-Unification Canadian Army. A Staff Sergeant was considered a senior Non-Commissioned Officer. The rank was almost always tied to a specific appointment bearing another title.

1900 to May 1915

The rank insignia of a Staff Sergeant up until May 1915 was in some cases a 4-bar chevron worn with the points up, surmounted by either a rank star or a crown. Some Staff Sergeants, depending on the appointment held, wore a 3-bar chevron worn with the points down, surmounted by a crown.

May 1915

In May 1915, the rank insignia for Staff Sergeants changed slightly depending on appointments, and an unadorned 4-bar chevron worn points up was now seen.

 

Second World War to Unification

By 1939, the rank insignia for a Staff Sergeant was standardized as a 3-bar chevron surmounted by the crown, though Staff Sergeants of the Royal Canadian Artillery and Royal Canadian Engineers added a gun or bomb badge, respectively, between the chevron and the crown.

Staff Sergeant (King's Crown)	Staff Sergeant (RCA)	Staff Sergeant (RCE)

 Insignia of a Staff Sergeant of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, with a Queen's Crown.
 

Duties

Staff Sergeants held the following appointments in the First World War:

• Sergeant Major

• Bandmaster Sergeant Major

• CAMC Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant

• Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant

• Battery Quarter Master Sergeant

• Company Quarter Master Sergeant

• Squadron Sergeant Major

• Battery Sergeant Major

• Company Sergeant Major

• Colour Sergeant

• Staff Quartermaster Sergeant

• Sergeant Bugler

• Sergeant Drummer

• Sergeant Piper

• Staff Sergeant of Regimental Band

• Artillery Quartermaster Sergeant, Gymnastic Staff

• Company Sergeant Major Instructor, Gymnastic Staff

• Armament Quartermaster Sergeant

• Staff Sergeant, Army Ordnance Corps

• Sergeant, Army Medical Corps

• Staff Sergeant Farrier

• Staff Sergeant, Army Pay Corps

• Staff Sergeant Wheeler

• Armament Staff Sergeant

• Staff Sergeant, Armourer

• Staff Sergeant Smith

• Staff Sergeant, Army Service Corps

• Sergeant of Mounted Band

Insignia 1914-May 1915

Insignia	Appointment/Title
	Sergeant Major Bandmaster
	Sergeant Major CAMC
	Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant
	Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant Battery Quarter Master Sergeant Company Quarter Master Sergeant Squadron Sergeant Major Battery Sergeant Major Company Sergeant Major Colour Sergeant

Insignia May 1915-1918

Insignia	Appointment/Title
	Staff Quartermaster Sergeant Sergeant Piper
	Sergeant Bugler
	Sergeant Drummer
	Quartermaster Sergeant, Gymnastic Staff
	Company Sergeant Major Instructor, Gymnastic Staff
	Armament Quartermaster Sergeant Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Staff Sergeant, Army Ordnance Corps Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant Company Quartermaster Sergeant Staff Sergeant, Army Medical Corps Staff Sergeant Farrier Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant Staff Sergeant, Army Pay Corps Staff Sergeant Wheeler Armament Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant, Armourer Staff Sergeant Smith Staff Sergeant, Army Service Corps Sergeant of Mounted Band Staff Sergeant of Regimental Band, Artillery

Staff Sergeants held the following appointments in the Second World War

Forms of Address

Staff Sergeants were addressed by rank and name.