Name These Early USMC Ranks?

[GyG1345]

and dates thereof, if you're really good at this sorta thing...

CLUE:
No.1 (crossed rifles) is PFC!

http://mujweb.atlas.cz/kultura/usmc/imaservice/rank02.gif

[GyG1345]

Here's some interesting (to me anyway) asides re the old enlisted rank structures...

The Diamond (or lozenge) as shown in the first sergeant rank, could be shown in chevrons in several variations--w/the lozenge verical, horizontal, and the lozenge could be either open or solid.

The staff sergeant rank, for a time, had a 5-point star in the field/

The single stripe authorized for temporary lance corporals (blues only) later was designated for PFCs over the crossed rifle insignia.

The original GySgt insignia of 1898, was three chevrons, three bars, with the crossed naval piece and rifle w/an anchor, globe and eagle over it.
By 1904 the above GySgt rank was replaced w/the three chevrons and bursting bomb over crossed rifles.
ert. etc,

[GyG1345]

For anyone interested, further info, Pics, history, etc...


HERE!!!!!!! (http://www.angelfire.com/ca/dickg/rank2.html)

[GyG1345]

Most of the interest and questions I receive from readers of the USMC Rank History sites seems to be on the rank of Lance Corporal.

Most expect that this is a recent rank for the Marine Corps dating back only to the rank structure change of 1959. Not so, the Marine Corps used the rank of lance corporal dating back to the Indian Wars of the 1830s, and probably prior to that.

During the first part of the 1900s it was known that both lance corporals and lance sergeants were in use in the Marine Corps. Although temporary in nature, these ranks were awarded as a sort of brevet for privates serving w/o pay as corporals, and corporals serving as sergeants.

The lance corporal has been used in various British and Europeon armies for the last several hundred years; however, its actual beginnings seems to have been medieval in origin. Very little information on the Internet regarding this, but what I have found, bit by bit, reveals that a lancer becoming dismounted and/or unarmed for whatever reason was usually assigned duties w/foot soldiers and became a "lance (broken) corporal." At that time, a lancer was recruited from the higher classes than common foot soldiers, and they were considered to be a cut above the common soldiery of the day.

And so, the rank of lance corporal has been around a long time, and with time it evolved to its present status in the many armies of the world as an actual rank, although formerly used as a temporary rank only in the U.S. Marine Corps, it now has its permanent place in our own rank structure.

Still looking for further information.