Stephen J F Plowman

Warrant Officers had two classes, those with Wardroom status that lived with the Gun Room Officers and those without that lived on the Orlop deck.

The Wardroom Warrant Officers were the Master, Surgeon, Purser and Chaplain. The Master was an Executive Officer with much seagoing experience, usually starting as a cabin boy. The others were 'civil' officers later joined by the Secretary. All were made Commissioned Officers shortly after Trafalgar. The Master rank continued until around 1850 when the rank was dropped and he became an Exec branch Lieutenant.

The non Wardroom Warrant Officers were the Boatswain, Gunner and Carpenter, living on the Orlop deck with the Midshipmen and cadets. Later the Midshipman Schoolmaster was promoted to Warrant Officer Rank as Naval Instructor and Schoolmaster.

In 1860 Warrant Officers of the Engineering branch were introduced with the advent of steam. This was mainly due to the fact that experienced engineers had to be recruited from outside the service.

Later other Warrant Officers such as Telegraphists were introduced.

The attached photo taken on HMS Glasgow ca 1920 shows a group of Warrant Officers. The gentleman in the front centre wears a narrow stripe with a curl for an Executive Warrant Officer with 10 years seniority, on the right at front is a Civil Warrant Officer with 10 year seniority, narrow stripe no curl. The others are W.O.s with less than 10 years seniority. Chief Warrant Officers wore a half inch stripe as a Sub Lieut. (Chief Boatswain, Chief Gunner etc)

In 1949 the Admiralty Warrants were withdrawn. W.O.s became branch officers wearing a thin stripe. A few years later this was discontinued and they became Special Duties List officers

I appreciate that I have arrived somewhat late on this particular topic. However, I seem to have a variety of Warrant Officers in my family tree. The earliest being a surgeon and a purser during the Napoleonic Wars. A son of the latter was an Inspector General of Hospitals and Fleets in the 1880s. More recently, my grandfather seems to have followed WO route;

1930 ? Electrical Artificer, RN Barracks, Chatham

1937 ? Acting Warrant Electrician, HMS VERNON

1939 ? Warrant Electrician, HMS CORNWALL & HMS CALEDON

1944 - Commissioned Electrician, HMS VERNON

1944-1946 - Commissioned Electrician & Electrical Lieutenant, HMS HOWE.

1947 ? Lieutenant (L), HMS MARLBOROUGH

1948 ? Lieutenant Commander & Flotilla Electrical Officer, HMS CHEQUERS.

1955 ? Commander, Air Electrical Officer, HMS NUTHATCH

1956 ? Commander, Staff Electrical officer, Flag Officer Ground Training

1957 ? Commander, Deputy Command Electrical Officer, Flag Officer Air (Home)

I presume the three main ?steps? were from Artificer to Warrant Electrician and then Commissioned Electrician?