Guy Fawkes held the rank of ensign while serving in the Spanish Netherlands before joining the Gunpowder Plot.
Fawkes, born in York, converted to Catholicism and travelled to continental Europe. He served in the Spanish army during its conflict in the Netherlands, gaining experience with military weapons and explosives. His technical background made him valuable to the conspirators’ plan to destroy the House of Lords.
An ensign was a junior military rank traditionally associated with carrying a regiment’s colors. It was below captain and lieutenant in the period’s military hierarchy, so Fawkes was not a senior commander.
His military service is one reason later accounts emphasize his expertise with gunpowder. However, the plot required a much larger political and logistical conspiracy than the work of one explosives specialist.