What is the highest rank royal engineers?

Answer 1

The RE is a corps of the British Army, and thus uses the same rank structure as the rest of the Army, the only difference being that private soldiers are called "Sappers".

Above Sappers are Lance Corporals, Corporals, Sergeants, and senior sergeants called Staff Sergeants - equivalent to "Colour Sergeants" in the Infantry.

Above these (the most senior non-commissioned ranks ) are "Squadron Sergeant Majors" ("Squadrons" are what the RE call Companies), who are "Warrant Officers Class 2", and "Regimental Sergeant Majors", "Warrant Officers Class 1". Warrant Officers (unlike other NCOs who are called by rank and surname - eg "Corporal X" or "Sergeant Y") are always addressed as "Sir" by junior ranks, and either "Mr SURNAME", or "Sergeant Major" by officers. Most Squadrons will also have a senior NCO (generally an experienced Sergeant who has not attained Warrant ranking) called the "Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant", responsible for squadron logistics.

Officer ranks also run along the same lines as the rest of the Army: Second Lieutenants and Lieutenants (who usually command "Troops"- what the RE call platoons); Captains (typically either a Squadron second in command, commander of a specialist troop such as reconnaissance, signals etc, or maybe regimental Adjutant); Majors (Squadron commanders, or regimental second in command), and Lieutenant Colonel, who usually commands a regiment/ battalion.

"Field Grade" officers (ie Majors & Lt Cols) also typically spend time on non regimental duties such as Staff and planning appointments; senior Lieutenants and Captains will also usually spend time away from battalion duties, typically training recruits, on junior staff jobs, or on special attachments - eg a tour with Special Forces, or on "loan service" with allied armies. Senior Captains/ junior Majors also, if selected, attend Staff College as preparation for higher appointments/ command positions.

Full Colonels and above (Brigadiers, Major Generals, Lt Generals, Generals) are "Staff Officers", and hold appointments such as Brigade and Divisional commands, or in senior planning and other roles.