Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)

{{short description|Rank in the British Army and Royal Marines}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}

{{Infobox military rank

| name = Lieutenant colonel

| image = {{nobreak|File:British Army (1920–1953) OF-4.svg File:British Royal Marines OF-4.svg}}

| image_size =

| caption =Lt Col insignia.

| country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}

| service branch = {{army|United Kingdom}}
{{Marines|United Kingdom}}

| abbreviation = Lt Col

| rank =

| NATO rank = OF-4

| Non-NATO rank =

| formation =

| abolished =

| higher rank = Colonel

| lower rank = Major

| equivalents = {{unbulleted list|Commander (RN)|Wing commander (RAF)}}

| history =

}}

Lieutenant colonel (Lt Col), is a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines which is also used in many Commonwealth countries. The rank is superior to major, and subordinate to colonel.{{cite web |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/32321.aspx |title=Ranks |work=British Army Website |access-date=22 December 2013 }} The comparable Royal Navy rank is commander, and the comparable rank in the Royal Air Force and many Commonwealth air forces is wing commander.

The rank insignia in the British Army and Royal Marines, as well as many Commonwealth countries, is a crown above a four-pointed "Bath" star, also colloquially referred to as a "pip". The crown has varied in the past with different monarchs; the current one being the Tudor Crown. Most other Commonwealth countries use the same insignia, or with the state emblem replacing the crown.{{Cite web |title=British Army ranks {{!}} National Army Museum |url=https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/british-army-ranks |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=www.nam.ac.uk |language=en}}

In the modern British Armed forces, the established commander of a regiment or battalion is a lieutenant colonel.

From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of lieutenant colonel. It was superseded by the rank of wing commander on the following day.