The guards have lance sergeants because they don't have lance corporals, therefore the first promotion to JNCO rank is to corporal. Some long serving guardsmen held the appointment of 'trained soldier', and wore a sleeve badge to indicate this, but I am not sure if this was a substantive rank, although the trained soldier expected the same respect due to an NCO. My father was a lance sergeant in the Scots Guards, but I have official photographs of him at the depot which describe him as sergeant, not lance sergeant. He certainly wouldnt have been impressed that his rank was "nothing special" gsa!
Glad this widow is getting the higher pension, natural justice being applied rather than the letter of the law.