Ordinary seaman (rank) facts for kids

An ordinary seaman is a special job title, or military rank, used in navies around the world. It's usually one of the first ranks a new sailor gets when they join the navy. This rank shows that a sailor is learning the ropes and gaining experience at sea.

Ordinary Seaman in the United Kingdom

In the Royal Navy (the UK's navy), the term "ordinary seaman" started being used around the mid-1700s. Back then, it described a sailor who had been at sea for one to two years. These sailors had learned enough basic seamanship (skills needed to operate a ship) for their captain to give them this rank.

Sailors with less than a year's experience were called "landmen". They were very new to life at sea. If a sailor had more than two years of experience, they could become an "able seaman". This meant they were more skilled and experienced.

Over time, "ordinary seaman" became a formal rank. It was the lowest rank for a regular sailor. These sailors did not have special training in one specific job. Instead, they did many different physically tough tasks on the ship. To work as an ordinary seaman, you often needed an Ordinary Seaman Certificate. With more experience and training, an ordinary seaman could be promoted to an able seaman.

Ordinary Seaman in the United States

In the 1800s, "ordinary seaman" was also a rank in the United States Navy. It was the second-lowest rank. It was higher than a "landsman" but lower than a "seaman".

To move from a landsman to an ordinary seaman, a sailor needed three years of experience or had to re-join the navy. An ordinary seaman could become a "seaman" after six years of experience. They also had to know the name and use of every rope on the ship's rigging (the ropes and wires that support the masts and sails).

The jobs of an ordinary seaman on a ship included handling and splicing ropes. They also worked high up on the lower parts of the ship's masts and yards (the horizontal spars that hold the sails).

The rank of ordinary seaman was used from 1797 until 1917. Then, it was changed to "seaman second class". Later, "seaman second class" became the modern-day rank of seaman apprentice. Some related ranks, like "ordinary seaman second class" and "ordinary seaman, engineer's force," also existed for short periods in the late 1800s.

Ordinary Seaman in Other Countries

The term "ordinary seaman" is still used today in some navies. For example, it is a rank in the Royal Canadian Navy. It is also used by the Irish Naval Forces. These navies often kept military ranks similar to those used by the Royal Navy in the past.