US WWII Officer Ranks

[rogueusmc]

ORIGINAL: dereck

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

There was no LCpl in WW2. Cant remember if they had MSgt either. Otherwise same rank as now, with no crossed rifles under chevrons

If the Marines follow the same standard as the other services during WWII there won't be any of the E-8 and E-9 paygrades. I know the Navy was easy ... the Senior Chief and Master Chief ranks were just added.

So "tentatively" the WWII Marine Ranks would be?:

E7 - Sergeant Major or Master Gunnery Sergeant
E6 - Gunnery Sergeant
E5 - Staff Sergeant
E4 - Sergeant
E3 - Corporal
E2 - Private 1st Class
E1 - Private

They did still have a First Sargeant between Gunnery Sargeant and Sargeant Major.

IIRC, the Corporal was what is now Lance Corporal and what is now Corporal was called a Buck Sargeant.

[Dereck]

So instead of the 7 enlisted ranks of the other services the Marines had 8?

Is this correct then?:

E8 - Sergeant Major or Master Gunnery Sergeant
E7 - First Sergeant
E6 - Gunnery Sergeant
E5 - Staff Sergeant
E4 - Sergeant
E3 - Corporal
E2 - Private 1st Class
E1 - Private

[Blackhorse]

ORIGINAL: dereck

So instead of the 7 enlisted ranks of the other services the Marines had 8?

Is this correct then?:

E8 - Sergeant Major or Master Gunnery Sergeant
E7 - First Sergeant
E6 - Gunnery Sergeant
E5 - Staff Sergeant
E4 - Sergeant
E3 - Corporal
E2 - Private 1st Class
E1 - Private

Not quite accurate, I think. I know E4= Corporal, and E5 = Sergeant. Before "Lance Corporal" was introduced, E1 & E2 were both "Private" and E3 was "Private First Class" as they still are in Army:

E9 Sergeant Major (Senior Battalion NCO)
E8 First Sergeant (Senior Company NCO)
E7 Sergeant First Class ( Senior Platoon NCO)
E6 Staff Sergeant
E5 Sergeant (Squad Leader)
E4 Corporal (Section Leader)
E3 Private First Class [one stripe with rocker] = Marine Lance Corporal
E2 Private [one stripe] = Marine PFC
E1 Private [no stripe] = Marine Private

So I don't know what differences there would be in Marine vs. Army ranks in WWII except that a Army E7 Sergeant First Class would be a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines?

[Twotribes]

Actually prior to standardization I dont think they used E grades. That is simply a standardization for purpose of pay and comparison to services.

In the army an E1 is a PV1 and an E2 is a PV2 dont know if those ranks exsisted in WW2, I would tend to think not. Just like I doubt that in WW2 there were two private ranks in the Marine Corps.

Today a GySgt is an E7, same as an Army Sgt Firstclass (SFC) in WW2 I doubt the army had a SFC did it?
And I dont think MSgt was a rank in the Marine Corps in WW2, I could be wrong, but I dont remember seeing that in anything I have read.

I also dont see Sgt Maj on the army list, so I doubt the Marine Corps had such a rank either. 1st Sgt was probably has high as it went.

Prior to standardization it was probably hard to judge rank structure between services. Paygrade wasnt an important consideration in WW2, now it is.

[Central Blue]

just to confuse things:

http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/gunnyg/enlrank.html

in 1937, enlisted rank insignia was set up according to pay grade. Three basic types of insignia were prescribed: plain chevrons, chevrons with bars and chevrons with arcs. Here was provided for the first time a clearcut distinction between line and staff. The allocation of these new simplified insignia was as follows:

First Grade, Line (three chevrons and three arcs):
sergeants major
master gunnery sergeants
First Grade, Staff (three chevrons and three bars):
master technical sergeants
master technical sergeants (mess)
quartermaster sergeants
paymaster sergeants
Second Grade, Line (three chevrons and two arcs):
first sergeants
gunnery sergeants
Second Grade, Staff (three chevrons and two bars):
technical sergeants
technical sergeants (Paymaster's Department)
technical sergeants (mess)
drum majors
supply sergeants
Third Grade, Line (three chevrons and one arc):
platoon sergeants
Third Grade, Staff (three chevrons and one bar):
staff sergeants (clerical)
staff sergeants (mechanical)
staff sergeants (mess)
Fourth Grade (three chevrons):
sergeants
mess sergeants
chief cooks
drum sergeants
trumpet sergeants
Fifth Grade (two chevrons):
corporals
mess corporals
field cooks
drum corporals
trumpet corporals
Sixth Grade (one chevron):
privates 1st class
assistant cooks
drummers 1st class
trumpeters 1st class

The system of assigning insignia by pay grade rather than by rank or title remained in effect througout World War II. Although there were changes within the structure during the war -- for example, the first sergeant went up to the first pay grade in 1943 -- and new titles were added -- for example, stewards and steward's assistants, -- the insignia remained constant.

more USMC rank history here:
http://www20.brinkster.com/gunnyg/gyhistory.html

[Twotribes]

Ok so ignoring the non command ranks and the support ranks you have the following:

SgtMaj and MGySgt
1stSgt and GySgt
PltSgt
Sgt
Cpl
Pvt1stclass