NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, in the British army, constitute a numerous and very important class in the regimental system between the commissioned officers and the men. As the former are not permitted to mix with the private soldiers, lest familiarity should diminish the sway of absolute discipline, it is necessary to have an intermediate class to overlook the men in their barracks and at all times when off the parade. None are so suited for this duty as the best conducted of the men themselves, who are pro moted by selection to non-commissioned rank, and hold many privileges and powers unattainable by the privates. The noncommissioned officers comprise the sergeants Major, all the sergeants, the trumpeters, drummers, and buglers, and, in the life guards, and royal horse guards only, the corporals. They can be reduced to the ranks by sen tence of a court-martial, or by their colonel-commandant; but not by a lieut.col. nor by any junior officer. Non-commissioned officers are entitled to quarters for their
wives, or lodging•oney in lieu of quarters. Accustomed themselves to obey, the non commissioned officers are admirable assistants in preserving discipline ; veterans, to whom military life is a second nature, they are looked up to by. their comrades as examples, to lend in battle or to teach in drill. The non-commissioned officers have a mess (q.v.) to themselves. In a battalion of infantry at home, there were, in 1874, 58 non-commis sioned officers to 520 rank and file; in India, 66 to 820; but the rank and file may be greatly augmented without affecting the number of non-commissioned officers. In the whole British army (European) for the year 1874-75, there were 20,949 non-commis sioned officers. This rank is a necessity in all armies; in France, the non-commissioned officers are termed in Germany,