As I troll the London Gazette to fill in details of officers, I often encounter, upon their retirement, a phrase such as "Retired as Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader" or variations - "retaining the rank of Wing Commander", etc. This appears to me that it is acknowledgement that sometime in their career they temporarily held a rank higher than their final rank. Am I correct ? And what does it entail anyway ? The right to wear uniforms with their older, superior rank on Remembrance Day parades ? The right to print the higher rank on their business or calling cards ? I would imagine that it does NOT entail added pension benefits. Please, may someone elucidate ?