These personnel are known as the 'rank and file' by virtue of the fact that on parade they fill out the ranks and files. Officially this person is responsible for no one but themselves but practically they are responsible for their mates as well. The pay grades of E-8 and E-9 were created on June 1, 1958.On enlistment into the armed forces a person usually has no rank. In written records during World War II, chiefs often annotated their rate with (AA) for acting appointment or (PA) for permanent appointment for example, CQM (AA).Įxamples shown below are for a quartermaster, who had the abbreviation QM, and Boatswain’s Mate, or BM. The color of the mark was based upon their chosen occupational field.Ĭhief Petty Officers (E-7 through E-9) wore collar devices on their white and khaki uniforms, and rate badges on their gray and service dress blues. Pay grades E-2 and E-3 had color-coded group rate marks that were worn on dress uniforms only. Sailors in pay grade E-1, usually recruits, did not wear a rate mark. The best-known example was the rating of coxswain, used in lieu of boatswain’s mate third class until 1948. In a few cases, special titles were used by certain ratings. For example, a quartermaster third class was abbreviated as QM3c during World War II and simply QM3 during the Cold War era. After April 1949, all rating badges were worn on the left sleeve with the eagle (known as a crow to salty sailors) facing to the right.Īt about the same time, rate and rating abbreviations were simplified. Until April 1949, ratings were designated left- and right-sleeve ratings and the eagle faced the opposite direction accordingly.

The rating badge - a combination of rate (pay grade) and rating (job specialty) - was worn on the upper sleeve of all uniforms for grades E-4 and above. The rank, or pay grade, of an enlisted sailor was known as a rate. Rate Insignia of Enlisted Personnel 1943-1965

World war 2 navy ranks