Copyright © Hans Högman 2017-07-25
The Allotment System - Historic
Military Ranks of the Swedish
Army
Officer Ranks of the Infantry & Cavalry
•
Överste
Colonel, a Army military rank - [commissioned]
officer. The Regimental Commander. The
Colonel also held a position as a commander
of the First Battalion and as the commander of
the Life Company.
•
Överstelöjtnant
Lieutenant Colonel, a Army military rank -
[commissioned] officer. Deputy Regimental
Commander. The Lieutenant Colonel also held
a position as the commander of the Second
Battalion and as the commander of the
Lieutenant Colonel's Company (normally the
5th company).
•
Major
Major, a military rank - [commissioned] officer.
A rank immediately above Captain. In the
middle of the 1700's the rank "Andre Major" or
Sekundmajor (Second Major) was introduced.
These officers had the rank of Major but
received a salary of a Captain. During the
1800's a First Major were called "Förste Major"
or Premiärmajor (First Major). In the 1800's
there was also a rank "Tredje Major" (Third
Major). The Major also held a position as the
commander of the Major's Company.
•
Regementskvartermästare
Military position (held by a commissioned
officer) in the Swedish Army (Regimental
Quartermaster). An officer with the
responsibility to prepare a regiment's quarter
and provision. There were both Company
Quartermasters and Regimental
Quartermasters.
•
Kapten
Army Captain, a military rank - [commissioned]
officer. The Captain was the Company
Commander.
•
Ryttmästare
Ryttmästare , a military rank - [commissioned]
officer used in the Swedish Cavalry
corresponding to a Captain in the Infantry.
•
Löjtnant
Lieutenant, a military rank - [commissioned]
officer (in the US First Lieutenant). Deputy to
Company Commander.
•
Fänrik
Second Lieutenant, a military rank -
[commissioned] officer. Fänrik was used in the
Swedish Army until 1835 when it was replaced
with the rank Underlöjtnat. The rank of Fänrik
was reintroduced in 1937. In former days the
Fänrik was in charge of the company colors
during combat.
•
Kornett
Kornett, a military rank - [commissioned]
officer. Kornett is an old military rank used in
the Swedish Cavalry corresponding to Fänrik in
the infantry (Second Lieutenant in the US).
•
Regementskrivare
Military position (held by a commissioned
officer) in the Swedish Army (Regemental
scribe). A Regementsskrivare was an officer in
charge of the accounts and the
correspondence. The Regementsskrivare was a
part of the regemental staff
(Regementsstaben).
NCO and and other Lower Ranks of the
Infantry & Cavalry
•
Fältväbel/Kvartermästare
Military position (held by a non-commissioned
officer, NCO) in the Swedish Army
(Quartermaster Sergeant). A NCO with the
responsibility to prepare a company's quarter
and provision. There were both a company
Quartermasters and a regimental
Quartermaster.
•
Sergeant
Military rank (non-commissioned officer, NCO)
in the Swedish Army. A Swedish sergeant
corresponds to a Staff Sergeant in the UK and
USA. In former days the Swedish Sergeant was
in rank just below Fältväbel (Master Sergeant).
His responsibilities were very much the same
as the Fältväbel but he had no right to punish
the soldiers.
•
Förare
Military rank (non-commissioned officer, NCO)
in the Swedish Army (Master Sergeant). A
”förare” was in charge of the company colors.
Before a battle he handed the company colors
to the Second Lieutenant who was in charge of
the company colors during battles. The “förare”
was also in charge of the company’s wounded
and sick plus the company baggage, clearing
the march route etc. He was also an assistant
to the Second Lieutenant. The rank Förare was
used in the Swedish Army until the beginning
of the 1800's.
•
Furir
Military rank (non-commissioned officer, NCO)
in the Swedish Army until 1875 when this rank
was replaced with Fanjunkare. The rank of
Furir was reintroduced in 1914 but now as a
lower rank corresponding to the
English/American rank of Sergeant. In former
days the Furir’s responsibility was to choose
the company campsite. He also received the
company food supplies and distributed it to
the soldiers.
•
Rustmästare
Military rank (non-commissioned officer, NCO)
in the Swedish Army until 1835. The rank of
was also used between 1957 and 1972 but now
as a lower rank NCO. In former days the
Rustmästare was in charge of the ammunition
and handed the ammo to the soldiers
according to the orders. He also had the
responsibility to inspect the soldier’s rifles and
see to that the soldiers were clean and ready
for duty.
•
Korpral
Corporal, a lower military rank. The Corporal
was in charge of a korpralskap (corporalship),
usually 24 soldiers.
•
Manskapet
Soldiers of rank and file. Within the artillery the
term hantlangare was used for soldiers of rank
and file.
•
Spelet
The company musicians; in the infantry usually
2 drummers (trumslagare) and a piper (pipare).
•
Profoss
Provost marshal, a military position (non-
commissioned officer, NCO). The full title was
Regementsprofoss, which later changed to
Regementsväbel. The Provost supervised the
order among the soldiers and executed
punishments. The military punishment could
be anything from death penalty to arrest,
whipping/flogging or to run the gauntlet.
Normally the Provost had three Assistant
Provosts (gemena profosser).
•
Fältpräst
Army chaplain. In each regiment there was one
regimental chaplain and two battalion
chaplains.
•
Mönsterskrivaren
Military position (held by a non-commissioned
officer, NCO) in the Swedish Army (Company
scribe / Company clerk). A Mönsterskrivare was
a NCO who was in charge of the rolls/lists (roll
keeping, accounts and other desk-work). The
Mönsterskrivare held a rank equal to the
highest NCO rank. The number of
Mönsterskrivare was reduced in the 1700's and
1800's and was abolished in 1875.
•
Regements-fältskären
Military surgeon; barber-surgeon. The
regimental surgeon had three assistants. Older
terms for Fältskär are Bardskärare and
Barberare.
The Allotment System -
Sweden (4)
Special Artillery Ranks
•
Styckjunkare
Military rank (non-commissioned officer, NCO)
in the Swedish Artillery. “Stycke” is an old term
for artilley piece. An other term for Styckjunkare
was Överfyrvaktare. Corresponds to Fanjunkare
in the infantry.
•
Konstapel
Corresponds to Corporal in the infantry.
•
Lärkonstapel
"Vice" Corporal in the artillery (US: Lance
Corporal).
•
Hantlangare
Artillery soldiers of rank and file
Terms for Soldiers
•
Menig
Private soldier
•
Manskap
Private soldiers, men of rank and file
•
Soldat
Soldier
•
Volontär
Volunteer. Volunteer was a term used for
military personnel being trained to become
NCOs or officers. The volunteer system was
used both in the Army as well as within the
Navy. A volunteer started off as a
soldier/seaman but had a higher position or
status than the ordinary soldier/seaman.
See also Military ranks of today
