dark blue shoulder boards in all dresses save for the combat and barracks duty dress uniforms. From 1911 to 1957 the officer corps even included warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers in the same way as the RN. Although the Royal Marines does not officially use the rank of field marshal, the Captain General Royal Marines, the ceremonial head of the corps, wears a field marshal's rank insignia. Officer ranks of the Royal Marines Historical ranks in italic. Warrant officer Commissioned warrant officer Probationary second lieutenant Probationary lieutenant Ensign Second lieutenant Lieutenant Captain lieutenant Second captain Captain Junior major Senior major Major Lieutenant colonel Colonel Colonel second commandant Colonel commandant - replaced by 1957 with brigadier Brigadier - acting rank, an appointment for colonels. until 1997 Brigadier general - temporary appointment rather than substantive rank. used from 1913 to 1921 Major general Lieutenant general General See also British Army officer rank insignia RAF officer ranks Ranks of the cadet forces of the United Kingdom Royal Marines Band Service Royal Navy other rank insignia Notes References Citations Sources External links Archived 2008 Royal Navy official webpage on Uniforms and Badges of Rank Illustrations of Naval epaulettes at the National Maritime Museum Royal Navy ranks, professions, trades and badges of rank in World War II British military insignia