Officers Rank Slides
The current denotation of Officers' Rank dates back to 1856, when laced gold stripes were introduced on the cuffs of Officers' Coats in the Royal Navy. The top stripe is looped to form a symbol known as the executive curl. The highest Officer rank is Admiral of the Fleet - a rank currently only held by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. This has a broad band and four more normal stripes above it. The most junior of the Officers ranks is Midshipman which is denoted by a white patch with a button in the center.
The rank of Sub Lieutenant is denoted by a single gold stripe. ( 9.4KB jpg )
The rank of Midshipman is denoted by a white patch with a button in the centre. ( 25.7KB jpg )
The rank of Ensign is denoted by a single thin gold stripe. ( 38.4KB jpg )