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HANDGUNS applied to the vassals’ son was finally
corrupted to become sergeant.
Italy took the lead in the development of
handguns. The early handguns were not as This is the accepted modern meaning of the
effective as the longbow. Not until 1420 did word, but in the past the Private has been
they evolve into something that could be known as man-at-arms, archer, sentinel,
aimed from the shoulder. sentry, common soldier, private soldier,
trooper, sapper and a dozen other titles,
Handguns gradually developed into the including rank and file.
hackbut, caliver and musket. Eventually they
replaced the longbow, not because they were Corporal is a word from the Latin word
more effective, but because a recruit could “coporale” which means caput, a head –
acquire reasonable proficiency with them meaning a head, or leader –corporal being
faster than he could learn to shoot a longbow the leader of a section. “Corporal” is an
accurately. English corruption of “caporale.”

After the invention of gunpowder, the The term Sergeant dates back to the English
evolution of weapons again became a matter Feudal system. Various feudal barons were
of relatively minor perfections : stronger gun inclined to have tilts at the throne of England
tubes, more manageable handguns, better from time to time, and for this purpose they
means of transporting artillery, breech rather needed men-at-arms. So great did their demands
than muzzle loading, more powerful become upon the vassals of the day that these
powder, invention of a recoil mechanism, landowners were forced to provide not only
etc. serfs from the fields, but Staff-Sergeant was
a later innovation, when a sergeant, often the

eldest son of the most powerful of the greater
WHAT’S IN A RANK
vassals who owed allegiances to a particular
baron was selected to carry the coat-arms of
Did you ever wonder where the term
“Sergeant-Major came from? Or why that baron into battle. The banner bearing his
private soldiers were called “Privates” heraldic device was raised on a pole or staff
originally? and so staff-sergeant became an accepted rank
in the British Army. Theoretically the Colours
Sergeant carried the Colours of his regiment
The actual origin of the word is somewhat into battle. In practice however, this
obscure, but basically the word “private” hazardous duty usually fell to the junior
denotes a soldier, who is so to speak, at the subalterns and ensigns in the regiment.
bottom of the ladder also to equip their sons
and personal servants and send them out to do The title Sergeant-Major was originally that
battle in the names of feudal lords. As a mark of the SergeantMajor-General. This term was
of respect, these sons and personal servants of later reduced to become Major-General. –
the great vassals were put in charge of groups this being the Major or senior General. Later
of field serfs and others with a lesser station the title was changed again to become the
in life. After a few nomenclature changes, the present day Major. By the end of the 17
th
general term of “servienties” which was Century, Sergeant-Major was the Senior
Sergeant. His bade or rank was at one time,