1.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
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| Admiral
William S Benson, Chief of Naval Operations 1915-19 |
Admiral
Benson with Commander Charles Belknap Jr and Commander
Worral R Carter, September 1918 |
Ensign
Chester Nimitz, c 1907 (Fleet
Admiral Chester W Nimitz) |
Boatswain
Merrill Greenleaf USNRF on board USS Cigarette,
SP-1234, summer 1917
(George K Beach) |
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Line
Officers
(sleeve
stripes in gold braid with star above)
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Staff
Officers
(sleeve
stripes in gold braid, no star, coloured backing
to stripes)
(w/r/o
- with rank of, equivalent line officer)
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Medical
Corps
(dark
maroon,
Reserve,
crimson) and
Dental Corps (orange)
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Pay
Corps
(white)
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Chaplain
Corps
(stripes
on
black mohair braid)
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Construction
Corps
(dark
violet)
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Professors
of Mathematics
(olive
green)
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Civil
Engineer Corps
(light
blue)
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Admiral
of the Navy
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(no equivalent staff
officers) |
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Admiral
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(no equivalent staff
officers) |
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Vice
Admiral
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(no equivalent staff
officers) |
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Rear
Admiral
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Medical
Director w/r/o
(Chief
of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and
Surgeon General of the Navy)
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Pay
Director w/r/o
(Chief
of
the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts and
Paymaster General of the Navy)
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(no
equivalent)
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Naval
Constructor w/r/o
(Chief
of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and
Chief Constructor of the Navy)
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(no
equivalent)
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Civil
Engineer w/r/o
(Chief
of the Bureau of Yards and Docks)
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Captain
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Medical
Director w/r/o
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Pay
Director w/r/o
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Chaplain
w/r/o
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Naval
Constructor w/r/o
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Professor
of Mathematics w/r/o
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Civil
Engineer w/r/o
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Commander
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Medical
Inspector w/r/o
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Pay
Inspector w/r/o
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Chaplain
w/r/o
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Naval
Constructor w/r/o
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Professor
of Mathematics w/r/o
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Civil
Engineer w/r/o
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Lieutenant
Commander
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Surgeon
or Passed Assistant Surgeon w/r/o
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Paymaster
or Passed Assistant Paymaster w/r/o
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Chaplain
w/r/o
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Naval
Constructor w/r/o
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Professor
of Mathematics w/r/o
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Civil
Engineer w/r/o
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Lieutenant
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Passed
Assistant Surgeon or Assistant Surgeon w/r/o
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Passed
Assistant Paymaster w/r/o
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Chaplain
w/r/o
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Naval
Constructor or Assistant Naval Constructor w/r/o
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Professor
of Mathematics w/r/o
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Civil
Engineer or Assistant Civil Engineer w/r/o
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Lieutenant,
junior grade
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Assistant
Surgeon w/r/o, Dental Surgeon w/r/o
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Passed
Assistant Paymaster or Assistant Paymaster w/r/o
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Chaplain
w/r/o, Chaplain (Jewish) w/r/o
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Assistant
Naval Constructor with rank
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(no
equivalent)
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Assistant
Civil Engineer w/r/o
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Ensign
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(no
equivalent)
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Assistant
Paymaster w/r/o
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(no
equivalent)
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(no
equivalent)
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(no
equivalent)
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Assistant
Civil Engineer w/r/o
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Commissioned Warrant Officers
- "with
but after" Ensigns
(single
gold sleeve stripe with blue silk at
intervals)
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Chief
Boatswain
Chief
Gunner
Chief
Machinist
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Chief
Pharmacist
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Chief
Pay Clerk
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Chief
Carpenter
Chief
Sailmaker
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Appointed
Officers
Midshipman
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Class
(3,
2 and 1 thin diagonal gold sleeve stripes
respectively, none for 4th class)
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Warrant Officers
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Boatswain
Gunner
Machinist
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Pharmacist
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Pay
Clerk
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Carpenter
Sailmaker
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Mates
- last ones appointed in 1890's
Mate
(20 years in rank)
Mate
(under 20 years in rank)
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2.
ENLISTED RATES
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| Storekeeper
2nd class Howard Himmelwright, lost in sinking of USS
President Lincoln 31 May 1918 (Rear
Admiral Percy W. Foote) |
"Old
Salt" and young sailor passing recruiting poster,
about 1920 |
Watertender
Jack ("Pop") Dalton, on board USS Margaret, SP-527, c
1917-18 |
Fireman
1st class William Owens (seated), lost in sinking of
USS President Lincoln 31 May 1918 (Rear
Admiral Percy W. Foote) |
Branch
badges are in brackets, but are not repeated for the
same branch title
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Rates
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Seaman
Branch
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Artificer
Branch
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Special
Branch
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CHIEF
PETTY OFFICERS
(sleeve
badge - eagle, reversed chevron, branch badge,
three chevrons)
e.g.
Chief Boatswain's Mate
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Chief
Boatswain's Mate (crossed anchors)
Chief
Gunner's Mate (crossed guns)
Chief
Master-at-Arms (star)
Chief
Quartermaster (ship's wheel
Chief Turret Captain (turret)
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Chief
Carpenter's Mate (crossed axes)
Chief
Electrician (globe)
Chief
Machinist's Mate (propeller)
Chief
Printer (open book)
Chief
Special Mechanic (propeller)
Chief
Storekeeper (crossed keys)
Chief
Water Tender (propeller)
Chief
Carpenter's Mate, Aviation (winged crossed
axes)
Chief
Machinist's Mate, Aviation (winged aircraft
propeller)
Chief
Quartermaster, Aviation (winged ship's
wheel)
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Bandmaster
(lyre)
Chief
Commissary Steward (two keys and quill pen)
Chief
Pharmacist's Mate (red cross)
Chief
Yeoman (crossed quill pens)
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FIRST
CLASS PETTY OFFICERS
(sleeve
badge - eagle, branch badge, three chevrons)
e.g.
Carpenter's Mate 1st Class
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Boatswain's
Mate 1st Class
Gunner's
Mate 1st Class
Master-at-Arms
1st Class
Quartermaster
1st Class
Turret
Captain 1st Class
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Blacksmith
1st Class (crossed chipping hammer)
Boilermaker
(propeller)
Carpenter's
Mate 1st Class
Coppersmith
1st Class (propeller)
Electrician
1st Class
Engineman
1st Class (propeller)
Machinist's
Mate 1st Class
Molder
1st Class (crossed chipping hammer)
Painter
1st Class (crossed axes)
Patternmaker
1st Class (crossed axes)
Plumber
and Fitter (crossed axes)
Printer
1st Class
Sailmaker's
Mate (possibly sailmakers' palm)
Shipfitter
1st Class (crossed chipping hammer)
Special
Mechanic 1st Class
Storekeeper
1st Class
Water
Tender
Carpenter's
Mate 1st Class, Aviation
Machinist's
Mate 1st Class, Aviation
Quartermaster
1st Class, Aviation
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Baker
1st Class (reversed C or crescent)
Commissary
Steward 1st Class
First
Musician (lyre)
Pharmacist's
Mate, 1st Class
Ship's
Cook 1st Class (reversed C or crescent)
Yeoman
1st Class
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SECOND
CLASS PETTY OFFICERS
(sleeve
badge - eagle, branch badge, two chevrons)
e.g.
Machinist's Mate 2nd Class
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Boatswain's
Mate 2nd Class
Gunner's
Mate 2nd Class
Master-at-Arms
2nd Class
Quartermaster
2nd Class
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Blacksmith
2nd Class
Carpenter's
Mate 2nd Class
Coppersmith
2nd Class
Electrician
2nd Class
Engineman
2nd Class
Machinist's
Mate 2nd Class
Molder
2nd Class
Oiler
(propeller)
Painter
2nd Class
Patternmaker
2nd Class
Printer
2nd Class
Shipfitter
2nd Class
Storekeeper
2nd Class
Carpenter's
Mate 2nd Class, Aviation
Machinist's
Mate 2nd Class, Aviation
Quartermaster
2nd Class, Aviation
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Pharmacist's
Mate 2nd Class
Ship's
Cook 2nd Class
Yeoman
2nd Class
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THIRD
CLASS PETTY OFFICERS
(sleeve
badge - eagle, branch badge, one chevron)
e.g. Gunner's
Mate 3rd Class
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Coxswain
(crossed anchors)
Gunner's
Mate 3rd Class
Master-at-Arms
3rd Class
Quartermaster
3rd Class
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Carpenter's
Mate 3rd Class
Electrician
3rd Class
Painter
3rd Class
Storekeeper
3rd Class
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Pharmacist's
Mate 3rd Class
Yeoman
3rd Class
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NON-RATED
MEN, FIRST CLASS
(three
cuff stripes, some with branch marks on upper
sleeve)
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 Seaman
1st Class (braid
sewn into shoulder seam
Seaman
Gunner (grenade)
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 Fireman
1st Class (braid
sewn into shoulder seam)
Shipwright
(crossed axes)
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Baker
2nd Class
Hospital
Apprentice 1st Class (red cross)
Musician
1st Class
Ship's
Cook 3rd Class
(all
with branch marks)
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NON-RATED
MEN, SECOND CLASS
(two
cuff stripes, some with branch marks on upper
sleeve)
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Seaman
2nd Class (as
Seaman 1st Class)
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Fireman
2nd Class (as
Fireman 1st Class)
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Bugler
(bugle)
Hospital
Apprentice 2nd Class
Musician
2nd Class
Ship's
Cook 4th Class
(all
with branch marks)
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NON-RATED
MEN, THIRD CLASS
(one
cuff stripe)
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Apprentice
Seaman (as Seaman
1st Class)
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Fireman
3rd Class (as
Fireman 1st Class)
Landsman
(no branch mark)
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Landsman
(no branch mark)
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3. ENLISTED BRANCHES and Some of Their DEFINITIONS
These are not official US Navy,
but broad dictionary definitions of some of the less obvious
jobs in the Navy of World War 1
Baker -
Bandmaster - leader and conductor of band
Blacksmith - forges and shapes iron with hammer and anvil
Boatswain (bosun, bos'un) - in charge of ship's rigging,
anchors, cables, deck crew
Boilermaker - makes and repairs boilers and similar
fabrications
Bugler -
Carpenter -
Commissary Steward - in charge of purchasing and preparation
of food, care of stores etc.
Cook -
Coppersmith - makes and repairs copper objects, especially
utensils.
Coxswain - ship's helmsman, steers ship's boat and in charge
of its crew.
Electrician -
Engineman - operates, maintains and repairs engines, including
refrigeration and auxiliary machinery
Fireman - stoker, tends boilers
Gunner -
Hospital Apprentice - medical staff, first aid, nursing etc
Landsman - preliminary rank for new recruits
Machinist's Mate - operates and maintains machinery
Machinist's Mate, Aviation - maintains engines
Master-at-Arms - responsible for ship's discipline
Mess Attendant - serves food to officers and crew
Molder - makes foundry molds and casts metal
Musician -
Oiler - lubricates engines and machinery
Painter -
Patternmaker - makes wooden wooden patterns for metal casting
Pharmacist's Mate - medical staff, first aid, nursing etc
Plumber and Fitter - installs and maintains ship's fittings
Printer -
Quartermaster - petty officer responsible for steering the
ship.
Seaman - sailor, above seaman apprentice and below petty
officer in rank
Sailmaker - makes and repairs sails
Shipfitter - maintains metal fittings, also lays out and
fabricates metal plates etc. for ship hulls
Shipwright - carpenter who builds and repairs vessels
Special Mechanic -
Storekeeper -
Turret Captain - maintains, instructs and takes charge of
assigned gun turret
Water Tender - in charge of a fireroom, "tends" water to the
boilers, sees that fires are properly cleaned and stoked, etc
Yeoman - performs secretarial and clerical duties
4. ENLISTED RANK ABBREVIATIONS
(A) - Aviation
(F) - Female
(G) - General
(R) - Radio
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Yeoman 1st class (F)
Joy Bright, USNRF, February 1918, serving in
Office of the Naval Superintendent of
Construction, New York; later Captain Joy Bright
Hancock, USN (Captain Joy Bright Hancock, USN)
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Yeomen
(F) being inspected by Rear Admiral Victor Blue
(left), Chief of Bureau of Navigation, in Washington
D.C., 1918 |
Following The Naval Reserve Act of 1916, which did not mention
gender, a number of women begin to enlist from mid-March 1917
and by the end of April 1917, nearly 600 Yeomen (Female) were
on duty. This number grew to over 11,000 in December 1918.
Yeomen (F), or "Yeomanettes" as they were often referred to,
mainly served in secretarial and clerical positions, though
some were "translators, draftsmen, fingerprint experts, ship
camouflage designers and recruiting agents. Five went to
France with Naval hospital units and a modest number of others
were stationed in Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii and the Panama
Canal Zone. However, the great majority were assigned duties
at Naval installations in the Continental United States,
frequently near their homes, processing the great volume of
paperwork generated by the war effort." By July 1919, numbers
were down to under 4,000, when they were all released. Some
Yeomen (F) continued until the end of their four-year
enlistments on inactive reserve status. Thereafter, apart from
Navy Nurses, women did not appear in the uniformed Navy until
1942. (Source: US Naval Historical Center)
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