Can someone tell me what this means - in layman terms please?

[1805]

I found this about my Gt Grandad, but don't really understand all the abbreviations. Can anyone help please?

"Capt.'(local Lt.-Col:) W. Boocock,. M.C.,
ret. pay, relinquishes the local rank of Lt.-
Col. on ceasing 'to be empld. as Zone
Recruiting Qffr. and is granted the hon. :rank
ofLt.-Cpl. ist Apr. 1937."

Thanks

Not sure where the fits in! but...
Captain (local Lieutenant-Colonel) W. Boocock, M.C (= Military Cross, presumably he'd been awarded one?), retirement pay (in other words I think on retirement pay, perhaps, a reduced amount, a bit like a pension) relinquishes the local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on ceasing to be employed as Zone Recruiting Officer (Officer rather than 'Qffr' - maybe a misprint?) and is granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Corporal

That's how it reads to me, anyway!

How on earth did the smiley get in there? I copy and pasted from the original info!!!!!
Thanks for that.

So was he a Captain or a Lt Colonel? Yes, I knew about the M.C medal (proud). What is an honorary rank??

Thank you so much for helping Halsall.

Actually I think I'm wrong with Lt. Corporal, as that's not a rank! I reckon he was a Captain who was 'acting up' as Lt. Col......but can't quite work out what the honorary rank is now. Will investigate and hope to be back with an answer, 1805!

Could he have been made an honorary Lt. Colonel, and the 'Lt-Cpl’ is actually a misprint for 'Lt-Col'?

Sorry, not very helpful, I'm not really familiar with army ranks, but it looks as though personnel could be promoted to higher 'local' ranks if their superiors were absent - which would imply that he started out as Captain and then after assuming a higher local rank was given that higher rank as an honorary thing.

I'm sure I'm using completely the wrong terminology

Local rank is when you have the responsibility of the higher rank but are not getting paid for it. It often happens whilst you are waiting for the paperwork to go through. Eventually you become substantive and then you get paid at the new level with all the additional benefits