Military ranks of women's services in WWII

The Military ranks of Women's Services in WWII are the military insignia used by the various all female military services and units during World War II.

Germany

Italian Social Republic

Officers

Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer
Female Auxiliary Service	No equivalent												No equivalent
									Comandante generale		Vice comandante generale	Ispettrice			Comandante Raggruppamento		Comandante provinciale		Vice comandante provinciale			Comandante di gruppo

Enlisted

Equivalent NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Female Auxiliary Service	No equivalent								No equivalent														No equivalent												No insignia
							Capo nucleo										Vice capo nucleo												Ausiliaria scelta						Ausiliaria

United Kingdom

Officers

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
Women's Transport Service (1938–1945)	No equivalent
											Commandant		Staff Commander		Commander		Captain		Lieutenant			Ensign			Cadet Ensign
Auxiliary Territorial Service (1938–1941)	No equivalent
							Chief Controller		Senior Controller		Controller		Chief Commandant		Senior Commandant		Company Commander		Deputy Company Commander			Company Assistant
Auxiliary Territorial Service (1941–1949)	No equivalent
							Chief Controller		Senior Controller		Controller		Chief Commander		Senior Commander		Junior Commander		Subaltern			Second Subaltern
Mechanised Transport Corps	No equivalent																								No equivalent
									Corps Commandant		Senior Commandant		Commandant		Commander		Captain		Lieutenant			Ensign
NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
Women's Auxiliary Air Force (1939-1940)	No equivalent																								No equivalent
									Senior Controller		Controller		Chief Commandant		Senior Commandant		Company Commander		Deputy Company Commander			Company Assistant
Women's Auxiliary Air Force (1940-1949)[1]	No equivalent																								No equivalent
							Air Chief Commandant[note 1]		Air Commandant		Group Officer		Wing Officer		Squadron Officer		Flight Officer		Section Officer			Assistant Section Officer
Women's Royal Naval Service	No equivalent								No equivalent																No equivalent
(1939–1940)[2]							Director				Deputy Director		Superintendent		Chief Officer		First Officer		Second Officer
(1941–1945)[3]											Superintendent		Chief Officer		First Officer		Second Officer		Third Officer
NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer

Enlisted ranks

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Women's Transport Service (1938–1945)	No equivalent								No equivalent								No equivalent												No insignia
							Warrant Officer Class II				Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal		Driver
Auxiliary Territorial Service (1938–1941)	No equivalent								No equivalent								No equivalent												No insignia
							Senior Leader				Section Leader												Sub-Leader				Chief Volunteer		Volunteer
Auxiliary Territorial Service (1941–1949)																	No equivalent												No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class I						Warrant Officer Class II		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal Bombardier[note 2]				Lance Corporal Lance Bombardier[note 3]		Private Gunner[note 4]
Mechanised Transport Corps	No equivalent																No equivalent												No insignia
											Company Cadet Officer												Section Cadet Officer				Cadet Officer		Driver
NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Women's Auxiliary Air Force (1939-1940)	No equivalent																No equivalent										No equivalent		No insignia						No insignia
									Senior Section Leader		Section Leader												Assistant Section Leader						Aircraftwoman 1st Class						Aircraftwoman 2nd Class
Women's Auxiliary Air Force (1940-1949)							No equivalent										No equivalent												No insignia						No insignia
	Warrant officer[note 5]								Flight Sergeant[note 6]		Sergeant												Corporal				Leading Aircraftwoman		Aircraftwoman 1st Class						Aircraftwoman 2nd Class
Women's Royal Naval Service (1939–1952)	No equivalent																No equivalent										No equivalent
									Chief Wren		Petty Officer Wren												Leading Wren						Wren						Ordinary Wren
NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1

Notes

1. created 1943 with first appointment.
2. used when assigned to AAC batteries
3. used when assigned to AAC batteries
4. used when assigned to AAC batteries
5. also called Under Officer
6. also called Senior Sergeant

References

1. Talbot-Booth, E.C. (1943). Ranks and Badges in the Navy, Army, RAF and Auxiliaries (PDF). London: George Philip & Son, Ltd. p. 31.
2. Coleman, E.C. (2011). Rank and Rate Volume II. The Crowood Press.
3. Talbot-Booth, E.C. (1943). Ranks and Badges in the Navy, Army, RAF and Auxiliaries (PDF). London: George Philip & Son, Ltd. p. 30.