LIKE MOST Commonwealth nations, the Canadian Army used the British ranking system. Except for the lower ranks, this system little differed from one service arm to another. The German Army system, however, tended to identify service and rank throughout most of its command chain, while the SS ranking system was further complicated by the fact many of its ranks harked back to the organization’s clandestine paramilitary roots. The translations are roughly based on the Canadian ranking system, although there is no Canadian equivalent for many German ranks and some differentiation in responsibility each rank bestowed on its holder.
