Exchanges, MILITARY

Exchanges, MILITARY, are certain arrangements made between officers of the British army to enable them to change their regiments or stations. Officers exchanging must be of the same rank. Artillery, engineer, marine, or departmental officers can only exchange in their respective corps, and do not lose seniority by doing so. Officers of other branches may exchange with each other, but, if they change regiments, go to the bottom of the list of officers of corresponding rank. Exchanges are ordinarily arranged by the Army Agents (q.v.), and others who make it their business to carry them out; but each exchange requires the sanction of the commander-in-chief, and of the two commanding officers affected by it. Considerable sums are often paid by one officer to another to induce him to exchange.