Non-commissioned Officers,

Non-commissioned Officers, in the British army (sous-officiers in the French, and unteroffizieren in the German), form a most valuable and important class, intermediate between the commissioned officers and the men. It is essential that some persons in authority should live amongst the men, superintend their Mess (q.v.), teach them their drill and duties, take charge of small parties on duty and in the field, and, generally, overlook them in every way. None are so well fitted to do so as those who are selected from amongst the men themselves, after several years' service as private soldiers, for promotion to non-commissioned rank. They must be well qualified by good conduct, tact, temper, education, and knowledge of military duties—in the two last mentioned they must pass examinations—and the efficiency of the corps will largely depend upon the way in which they do their duty. Besides extra pay, they enjoy special privileges, and many obtain commissions as officers. All quartermasters and riding-masters, all officers of the Coast Brigade Royal Artillery and Coast Battalion Royal Engineers, and many combatant officers of cavalry and infantry are selected from amongst them. They can only be reduced to the ranks, or to a lower grade, by sentence of a court-martial, and cannot be subjected to any minor punishment except a reprimand. The following are included in the term 'non-commissioned officer': master-gunners, 3d class (who have charge of the armament and magazines in a fort), staff-clerks, all Sergeants (q.v.), Corporals (q.v.), and Bombardiers (q.v.). Sergeants have a separate Mess (q.v.), and in most barracks there is a corporals' room. The proportion of non-commissioned officers to other soldiers in a battalion at war strength is 91 to 959; in a regiment of cavalry, 83 to 551; and in a battery of artillery, 21 to 149. The following are warrant officers, a class ranking above non-commissioned officers, from whom they are nearly all selected, but below officers: Bandmasters, schoolmasters of more than twelve years' service, conductors of supplies or stores, master-gunners (1st and 2d class), super-intending clerks, 1st class staff-sergeants, sergeant-majors, and corporal-majors. For the Navy, see PETTY OFFICERS, WARRANT OFFICERS.