Lance Sergeant (rank)

A Lance Sergeant, also abbreviated to L/Sgt., is a military rank in the armies of the Commonwealth given to a Corporal so they could fill a post usually held by a Sergeant. The appointment is retained now only in the Foot Guards and Honourable Artillery Company in the British Army. In these regiments today, all corporals are automatically appointed Lance Sergeant on their promotion, in effect performing the same duties as Corporals in other regiments and are not acting in place of Sergeants. The Household Cavalry equivalent is Lance Corporal of Horse.

The appointment originated in the British Army and Royal Marines, in which it could be removed by the soldier's commanding officer, unlike a full Sergeant, who could only be demoted by court martial. Lance Sergeants first appeared in the 19th century, however, the appointment was abolished in most regiments and corps in 1946. Some cadet units also retained the rank in addition to Corporal into at least the 1980s. Lance Sergeants wear three rank chevrons, the same insignia as a Sergeant. In full dress, Foot Guards lance sergeants are distinguished from full sergeants by their white chevrons (full sergeants wearing gold); and in working dress, primarily by wearing an other ranks cap badge instead of a senior Non-commissioned officer variant.