Viceroy's Commissioned Officer
Encyclopedia
A viceroy's commissioned officer (VCO) was a senior Indian member of the British Indian Army
. VCOs were senior in rank to warrant officer
s in the British Army
, and held a commission issued by the viceroy
. Also known as Indian officers or native officers, they were treated in almost all respects as commissioned officers, but only had authority over Indian troops and were subordinate to all British King's (and Queen's) commissioner officers and king's commissioned Indian officer
s.
These ranks were created to facilitate effective liaison between the British
officers and their native troops. The soldiers who were promoted to VCO rank had long service and good service records, spoke reasonably fluent English
, and could act as a common liaison point between officers and men and as advisers to the British officers on Indian affairs.
VCOs were always treated and addressed with respect. Even a British officer would address a VCO as, for instance, "subedar sahib
" or "sahib".
Ranks held by VCOs were:
Similar ranks are retained in the Indian Army
and Pakistan Army
, where they are known as junior commissioned officer
s (JCOs).
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
. VCOs were senior in rank to warrant officer
Warrant Officer
A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
s in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and held a commission issued by the viceroy
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
. Also known as Indian officers or native officers, they were treated in almost all respects as commissioned officers, but only had authority over Indian troops and were subordinate to all British King's (and Queen's) commissioner officers and king's commissioned Indian officer
King's Commissioned Indian Officer
A king's commissioned Indian officer was an Indian officer of the British Indian Army who held a full king's commission after training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, as opposed to the Indian commissioned officers , who were trained at the Indian Military Academy at Dehra Dun, and the...
s.
These ranks were created to facilitate effective liaison between the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
officers and their native troops. The soldiers who were promoted to VCO rank had long service and good service records, spoke reasonably fluent English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and could act as a common liaison point between officers and men and as advisers to the British officers on Indian affairs.
VCOs were always treated and addressed with respect. Even a British officer would address a VCO as, for instance, "subedar sahib
Sahib
Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib is "associate, companion, comrade, friend" though it also includes "Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib...
" or
Ranks held by VCOs were:
- CavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s- JemadarJemadarJemadar was a rank used in the British Indian Army, where it was the lowest rank for a Viceroy's Commissioned Officer . Jemadars either commanded platoons or troops themselves or assisted their British commander...
- RisaldarRisaldarRisaldar , meaning "the commander of a risala " in Persian, is a mid-level rank in cavalry and armoured units of the Indian Army. Risaldars generally command squadrons....
(or Ressaidar) - Risaldar-majorRisaldar-MajorRisaldar-major was originally a cavalry officer of the British Indian Army, the rank was created in 1886 - a risaldar-major was the most senior risaldar of the regiment...
(also called ressaidar-major or wordi-major)
- Jemadar
- InfantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiments and other arms- Jemadar
- SubedarSubedarSubedar is a historical rank in the Indian Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was otherwise equivalent to a British lieutenant and was introduced in the East India Company's presidency armies, to make it easier for British officers to...
- Subedar-majorSubedar-MajorSubedar-Major is the senior rank of Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian and Pakistani Armies, and formerly Viceroy's Commissioned Officer in the British Indian Army.nirmala...
Similar ranks are retained in the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
and Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, where they are known as junior commissioned officer
Junior Commissioned Officer
Junior commissioned officer is a term describing a group of military ranks found in the Indian Army, Pakistan Army, Bangladesh Army and Nepal Army. Those soldiers holding JCO rank receive a commission from the President,...
s (JCOs).