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| - From the 18th century, Gefreiters were the first line members of a military company, and every Gefreiter lead and commanded a section or squad of Gemeine (Ordinary-rank soldiers), the rank existed in the Cavalry, Infantry, Pioneer, and Artillery where the Gefreiter rank received a greater rank-class status. Gefreiter was the only enlisted rank up until 1918 within the Royal Prussian Army and respectively the imperial army of the German Empire to which an exceptional enlisted soldier could be promoted on the recommendation of the Hauptmann (Captain) or Rittmeister (Cavalry-Master otherwise Captain) and ultimately endorsed by the Regiments-Commandeur (Regimental Colonel), with exception of the rank Obergefreiter (since 1859) in the foot artillery which later replaced the artillery Bombardi
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| abstract
| - From the 18th century, Gefreiters were the first line members of a military company, and every Gefreiter lead and commanded a section or squad of Gemeine (Ordinary-rank soldiers), the rank existed in the Cavalry, Infantry, Pioneer, and Artillery where the Gefreiter rank received a greater rank-class status. Gefreiter was the only enlisted rank up until 1918 within the Royal Prussian Army and respectively the imperial army of the German Empire to which an exceptional enlisted soldier could be promoted on the recommendation of the Hauptmann (Captain) or Rittmeister (Cavalry-Master otherwise Captain) and ultimately endorsed by the Regiments-Commandeur (Regimental Colonel), with exception of the rank Obergefreiter (since 1859) in the foot artillery which later replaced the artillery Bombardier (Corporal) rank. The Gefreiter rank was also considered a transition rank for promotion to and wherefrom replacements were selected to the Unteroffizier (Corporal) rank. Within the Royal Prussian Army and respectively the imperial army of the German Empire, the rank Gefreiter was a deputy to the Unteroffizier (Corporal), and were distinguished by the wearing of a Auszeichnungsknopf (rank Distinction-button) known as the Gefreitenknopf (Gefreiter-button) on each side of their uniform collar, similar to the slightly larger rank collar side-buttons worn by both the Sergeant and Feldwebel ranks. In the Royal Prussian Army up until its reorganization after 1806, there existed along with Gefreiter the rank of Gefreite-Korporale who wore a silver Portepee (sword lanyard) and were officer cadets specifically selected for higher advancement, they stood equal with their officer cadet counterpart the Portepee-Fähnriche. The Gefreite-Korporale was a rank that also existed along with Gefreiter in the Austrian Army during the Thirty Years' War. From the 1920s the German rank of Gefreiter has expanded into several additional ranks and duties, those being Obergefreiter (Senior Lance Corporal otherwise Second Corporal; Prussian Army since 1859), Hauptgefreiter (Leading Lance Corporal; Luftwaffe during 1935-1944, Kriegsmarine during 1938-1945, Heer from 1955), Stabsgefreiter (Staff Lance Corporal; Reichswehr since 1927. Kriegsmarine up until 1945. Luftwaffe from 1944 temporarily replacing Hauptgefreiter rank) and Oberstabsgefreiter (Senior Staff Lance Corporal; Kriegsmarine since 1940. Not Heer or Luftwaffe until 1996). All Gefreiter ranks are now in use with the German Army, Airforce and Navy.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)