Recruitment in the British Army from families with a military tradition. (This contrasted with the Navy, whose officers were more often from a middle-class background.) The second son of King George III, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, did much to improve the standard of officer recruitment from his position as Commander in Chief of the Army (from 1795 to 1809, then from 1811 to 1827). The sale of commissions, finally abolished in the Cardwell reforms in 1868–1874, and the further Childers Reforms. In spite of its abolition, the status of an officer being from a privileged background and that of another rank being
British Army officer rank insignia 1813) and different graded General officers by the combination of chevron-shaped ess pattern laces on the sleeve. During the Napoleonic wars, Field Marshals wore oak-leaf embroidered collar and cuff; and shoulder cord instead of previous pattern. It was continued till the end of 1830. At the beginning of 1831, new rank distinction was ordered for Field Marshals and General officers. After the Crimean War (30 January 1855), War Office ordered different rank badges for British General, staff and Regimental officers. It was the first complete set of rank badges to be used by the British Army. In 1868, Brigadier Generals