# Question about promotion of enlisted by other forces

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-promotion-of-enlisted-by-other-forces/362244>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-promotion-of-enlisted-by-other-forces/362244 "2006-06-26T19:00:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-promotion-of-enlisted-by-other-forces/362244/1 "2006-06-26T19:00:15Z")

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Can officers in one country’s armed forces promote an enlisted person in another country’s armed forces?

Consider the following scenarios:

An American force in Afghanistan, commanded by an American officer, have a British officer (field, not staff) with them. They come under fire and the American officer is killed, as are the sergeants. The British officer takes command and needs a sergeant, so on the spot he promotes someone.

A large group of American and British POWs are in a German POW camp in WW2. There are no Allied officers, but numerous sergeants of the same rank. Can the German commandant promote one of the sergeants to Sergeant-Major?

On a related issue, in WW1 and WW2, were recommendations for medals for those in captivity passed across lines (likely via the Red Cross) and honoured and presented?

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-promotion-of-enlisted-by-other-forces/362244/2 "2006-06-26T21:33:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Quartz]  
Can officers in one country’s armed forces promote an enlisted person in another country’s armed forces?

Consider the following scenarios:

An American force in Afghanistan, commanded by an American officer, have a British officer (field, not staff) with them. They come under fire and the American officer is killed, as are the sergeants. The British officer takes command and needs a sergeant, so on the spot he promotes someone.

[/QUOTE]

No, but he can probably say: “You! Take command of your squad!” and that will be that. He doesn’t need to actually promote someone to get the job done - if he’s in charge, he can delegate whatever he wants to whoever he wants. You don’t need to outrank someone to give him orders

Afterwards, if his own chain of command sees he did a good job, a promotion may be in order.

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**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-promotion-of-enlisted-by-other-forces/362244/3 "2006-06-26T22:13:13Z")

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[QUOTE=Quartz]  
On a related issue, in WW1 and WW2, were recommendations for medals for those in captivity passed across lines (likely via the Red Cross) and honoured and presented?  
[/QUOTE]

Yes, a New Zealander recieved a VC on the recommedation of a german U-boat commander.

> [@Wikiarticle](#):
>
> Another New Zealander, Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg, has the distinction of being the only serviceman ever awarded a Victoria Cross on evidence solely provided by the enemy, for an action in which there were no surviving Allied witnesses. The recommendation was made by the captain of a German U-boat sunk by Trigg’s aircraft.[link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Cross)