| GENE SLOVERS US NAVY PAGES PRECEDENCE OF RATINGS OF PETTY OFFICERS |
| HOME NOVEMBER 1942 |
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| THE PRECEDENCE OF RATINGS OF PETTY OFFICERS OR THE PECKING ORDER IS ESTABLISHED FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF NAVIES OF WOODEN SHIPS AND IRON MEN. IT IS GENERALY ACCEPTED THAT THE FIRST RATINGS WERE FOR THE BOATSWAIN'S MATE. THEREFORE A BOATSWAIN'S MATE IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED TO BE FIRST IN COMMAND IF NO OFFICER IS PRESENT. THUS A 3RD CLASS BOATSWAIN'S MATE IS IN COMMAND EVEN IF A CHIEF GUNNER'S MATE IS PRESENT. THE RATINGS WERE DEVELOPED AS THE NEED FOR SOMEONE TO DO EITHER A NEW JOB OR TO RELIEVE SOME OF THE DUTIES THAT WERE BEING DONE BY PERSONEL. SO IT WENT BOATSWAIN'S MATES, GUNNERS MATES, QUARTERMASTERS, SIGNALMEN, AND FIRE CONTROLMEN. THE TURRET CAPTAINS RANK CAME IN THE LATE OR MID 1800'S BUT WAS PUT IN 2nd PLACE BECAUSE THIS USED TO BE THE RANK OF GUN CAPTAIN ON THE WOODEN SHIPS. WE CHANGED IT TO TURRET CAPTAIN ABOUT 1875 OR SO. AND SO ON DOWN THE LIST. BOATSWAIN'S MATES, TURRET CAPTAINS, GUNNERS MATES, QUARTERMASTERS, SIGNALMEN, AND FIRE CONTROLMEN WORE THEIR RATING BADGES ON THEIR RIGHT ARMS AND WERE CALLED RIGHT ARM RATED PERSONEL. ALL OTHER PETTY OFFICERS WERE LEFT ARM RATED AND WORE THEIR RATING BADGES ON THEIR LEFT ARMS. THE SHIPS OF THE LINE STEAM IN THE BATTLE LINE AND ARE COMMANDED BY LINE OFFICERS AND THEREFORE THE RIGHT ARM RATED PETTY OFFICERS WERE ALSO LINE PETTY OFFICERS. SHORTLY AFTER WWII THE RIGHT ARM RATING BADGES WERE ABANDONED AND ALL PETTY OFFICERS THEN WORE THEIR RATING BADGES ON THEIR LEFT ARMS. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT DATE THIS OCCURED. THIS CAN BE SAID WAS THE TIME THE CARRIER TOOK ITS PLACE AS THE FORMOST SHIP OF THE LINE AND WAS COMMANDED BY LINE OFFICERS AND LINE PETTY OFFICERS. I THINK IN ORDER TO TRY TO REMOVE SOME OF THE ILL FEELING BETWEEN BATTLESHIP AND CARRIER OPPONENTS OR PROPONENTS THE RIGHT ARM RATINGS WERE ABOLISHED AND ALL RATINGS BECAME LEFT ARM RATINGS. EVEN THOUGH YOU STARTED WEARING YOUR RATING BADGE ON YOUR LEFT ARM YOU WERE STILL CONSIDED A LINE PETTY OFFICER IF YOUR RATING WAS OF THE OLD RIGHT ARM RATING PETTY OFFICER. JUST A LITTLE GOOD OLD USN HISTORY THAT I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE:-) |