On 27/1/25 01:25, Timothy Collinson - timothy.collinson at port.ac.uk
(via tml list) wrote:
>
>
>     What happened to all the talk of resurrecting the 'one star' rank
>     of 'Commodore'.
>
>
> I *think* (I may be out of date) that they're alive and well in the
> Royal Navy.
>
> At least we had such a Commodore in church until his death a few years
> back.  He was a great one for long distance swims in the Solent (and
> the English Channel) and regard wearing a wetsuit in such waters as
> for 'wimps'. Indeed he called the wimpsuits.  He had an entire
> extension built on his house to house his puzzle collection and iirc
> was a member of the Magic Circle.  (I can't help feeling there's a
> character write up in there just waiting to get out!)
>
> I *thought* I learned that they were exactly that, the 'captain' in
> charge of a bunch of captains in a fleet, but now I think about it, I
> may be misremembering and they may have had more permanent roles as
> istr there were uniform changes for them and even flags.  Another q I
> could probably ask my Dad - he was supposed to come to lunch today
> (actually, he was supposed to come last week) but is struggling to get
> over some bug or other.
>
> Of course, I vaguely understand the title of commodore to be alive and
> well in your average yacht club as well, but I assume it's an honorary
> thing!
>
> tc
>
Collision,

I think, in the British Army, "Brigadier" wasn't a substantive rank
until 1947(?), previously being an appointment conferred upon senior
colonels.  After that, it became the senior _field-grade_ rank, not the
junior _flag_ rank.

Thus, Alistar Gordon Lethbridge-Stuart of Doctor Who fame was a
substantive brigadier from his time with the Third Doctor onwards, not
an appointed colonel.

In the RM, it remained an appointment, not a substantive rank until
1997.  Likewise, commodore, likewise having previously been an
appointment conferred upon senior post (ie, literal ranking of)
captains, became a substantive RN rank at the same time. Like the
British Army, brigadier/commodore are the senior _field/senior_ rank,
not the junior _flag_ rank.

In the RAF, it has been a substantive, flag-officer, rank, since 1919.

As a result of this, IM Golden Age TU, IN commodores are senior officers
while their IM counterparts (brigadiers) are flag officers.  It amused me.

I think in most other Commonwealth-military tradition nations,
brigadier/(air) commodore are, and always have been, substantive flag
ranks, but I wouldn't swear to that.

Alex