The rule, for the Army, used to be, ranks from LCpl through to SSgt/CSgt were addressed by rank, usually abbreviated, unless they held an appointment, i.e. a LBdr was referred to as â Å“Bombardierâ ? and a SSgt as â Å“Staffâ ?. WO2s and WO1s were addressed, by their junior, as â Å“Sirâ ? â “ both ranks, without fail. Officers and warrant officers addressed WO2s by appointment, â Å“CSMâ ? for â Å“RQâ ?. WO1s were addressed, by officers, as Mr. Hill or Mr. Juteau, etc, even when they were the RSM. There were, I think, two or three exceptions: some Master Gunners and every RCOC Conductor and RCEME Artificer I ever met wanted to be addressed as â Å“Master Gunnerâ ? or â Å“Conductorâ ? etc â “ one WO1 Artificer said, to me â “ a very young officer â “ â Å“it's OK, Sir: Tiffy Brown will do nicely, it'll save you trying to wrap your tongue around artificer without spitting at me.â ?
There were, still were later in the British Army, many appointments. In my outer office in a large NATO HQ in Europe sat a SSgt, RSigs, and behind a 'green door' were his specialist operators and one comm circuit. He was a Yeoman of Signals â “ a top of the trade skill heap specialist â “ and he was addressed by everyone, including corporals as â Å“Yeoman Boadimeade,â ? never as â Å“Staff Boadimeadeâ ? except by a few strangers who didn't bother to read his desk plate which said (something like) SSgt (YofS) Boadimeade. There was a similar thing for signals technicians but they â “ the top of the technical trades heap â “ were addressed, by subordinates and superiors alike as â Å“Foreman.â ?
As I understood the Navy, of my time, it was worth your skin to ever call any chief petty officer â Å“Sir,â ? â “ I seem to recall that they took great delight in humiliating ignorant young soldiers.
To answer a question: the Air Force had an appointment of Station Warrant Officer and some were quite fierce disciplinarians and very good drill and duties men.
