Historical Ranks
In the autumn of 1877, en route to pioneer Whitby, a small Yorkshire fishing town, Elijah Cadman presaged the shape of things to come to a man in his railway carriage.
Whitby had churches and chapels enough, the man sighed, but the people were spiritually dead. Vowed Cadman grimly: 'By the help of God, I'm going to wake them up.' Within weeks, came a stirring call for two thousand men and women to join 'The Hallelujah Army' in the fight against the Devil's Kingdom. Mammoth posters, signed by 'CAPTAIN CADMAN', as he already styled himself to win sympathy with local skippers, blazoned,
WAR! IN WHITBY!
THE HALLELUJAH ARMY, FIGHTING FOR GOD!
A month later, when William Booth visited Whitby, Cadman, on his own initiative, took a daring step. His advance billing announced Booth as 'GENERAL of The Hallelujah Army' ... it was not far removed, after all, from his correct title: 'GENERAL Superintendent of The Christian Mission.'
Not long after, in July of 1878, The Christian Mission became The Salvation Army, and William Booth became its first GENERAL.
A fighting force should look distinctive, and in Victorian days uniforms were seen everywhere, but almost two years would pass before Booth's dream of a standard uniform became a reality. The first Salvationists wore a brass "S" on either lapel to distinguish themselves, later they donned blue and red armlets, inscribed 'The Salvation Army’ .
It wasn't until the spring of 1880 that CAPTAINS- then the highest Army rank- could apply to headquarters for the new blue serge patrol jacket, worn over crimson guernseys, or fishermen's jerseys.
But if uniforms could not, as yet, be standardised, regulations could, and Booth was the man to do it. By October 1878, the first volume of Orders and Regulation for The Salvation Army was required reading in Salvationists household.-
There are two different categories in which the ranks of The Salvation Army are governed, they are : a) Staff Officers, b) Field Officers.
Taken from four editions of The Orders and Regulations for Officers of The Salvation Army , are four different lists of ranks from various years to the present:
Orders & Regulations, 1904
Orders & Regulations, 1925
Orders & Regulations, 1950
Orders & Regulations, 1974 – present active edition: Officers hold one of the following ranks:
*In 1974 the rank of Brigadier was no longer being confired upon Officers, although those who has already obtained the rank were allowed to retire with the rank.
In 2003, the rank of Lieutenant was discontinued and upon commissioning, cadets were ordained and commissioned with the rank of Captain. By 2008 the decision was reversed, and went back to the previous system in place; cadets are now commissioned with the rank of Lieutenant.
