- 5 , ▁ ▁meaning ▁that ▁it ▁ranks ▁above ▁Wing ▁Commander , ▁immediately ▁below ▁Air ▁Com mod ore ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁the ▁naval ▁rank ▁of ▁Captain ▁and ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Colonel ▁in ▁other ▁services . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁rank ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁( RA F ), ▁Group ▁Captain ▁is ▁a ▁rank ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁air ▁forces ▁of ▁many ▁Commonwealth ▁and ▁other ▁countries ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁influenced ▁by ▁British ▁military ▁culture . ▁It ▁is ▁sometimes ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁English ▁translation ▁of ▁an ▁equivalent ▁rank ▁in ▁countries ▁which ▁have ▁a ▁non - English ▁air ▁force - specific ▁rank ▁structure . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁abbre vi ated ▁G p ▁Capt . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁air ▁forces ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁R AF , ▁I AF ▁and ▁P AF ), ▁G PC AP T ▁is ▁used ▁while ▁in ▁others ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁RA AF ▁and ▁R N Z AF ) ▁and ▁sometimes , ▁especially ▁in ▁historical ▁context s , ▁as ▁G / C . ▁ ▁The ▁rank ▁of ▁Group ▁Captain ▁is ▁not ▁correctly ▁abbre vi ated ▁as ▁" Capt ain ". ▁ ▁R AF ▁usage ▁History ▁On ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁the ▁newly ▁created ▁R AF ▁adopted ▁its ▁officer ▁rank ▁titles ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁Army , ▁with ▁Royal ▁Naval ▁Air ▁Service ▁capt ains ▁and ▁Royal ▁F lying ▁Corps ▁colon els ▁becoming ▁colon els ▁in ▁the ▁R AF . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁proposal ▁that ▁the ▁R AF ▁should ▁use ▁its ▁own ▁rank ▁titles