Kriegsmarine Rank Question

[John R]

I can't find this in my rank lists:

"Überzähliger Stabs Heizer"

Anybody know what this rank was for and what type of personnel were assigned to this rank?

Thanks, John

[Gordon Williamson]

Supernumary Senior Stoker

Not a Kriegsmarine rank, more a throwback from earlier days when coal fired ships were the norm. Such terms are occasionally found in earlier KM documentation when earlier terminology from the Kaiserliche Marine or Reichsmarine were still sometimes being used. The "Heizer" part is more a "trade" than a "rank". Equivalent in KM terms would most likely just be (Matrosen) Stabsgefreiter.

The supernumary part indicates that although considered qualified to act as a Senior Stoker, there was no vacancy on the unit establishment and therefore he would not be being paid for the qualification.

[John R]

Thanks Gordon. I had seen the term heizer used in Imperial references, so this clears it up.

John

[Claudius]

I have just experienced "Heizer" as an Imperial German Navy rank. Perhaps not that odd if this person was aboard a ship (working in the boiler/engine room). But this gentleman was in a land-based "Marine-Kompanie".

Can anyone expand on this definition of this "Heizer" rank?

[John R]

This is where I saw the rank in question. I do not own this example, it belongs to another collector I know. As you can see, it is dated 1937.

John

Edited March 27, 2012 by John R

[Deutschritter]

These ranks are also known with the Kriegsmarine. They would enter the Maschinistenlaufbahn as a "Heizer", be promoted to Oberheizer (Gefreiter) after a year and Stabsheizer (Obergrefreiter) after two. These were followed by the NCO ranks of Maschinenmaat, Obermaschinenmaat/Maschinenobermaat, Maschinist and Obermaschinist (Oberfeldwebel), or, like Ritterkreuzträger Heinrich Dammeier, to Stabsobermaschinist. Some, that started that way, could even make the jump to Leutnant (Ing.) or Oberleutnant (Ing.), like Ritterkreuzträger Hans Johannsen.

Edited May 17 by Deutschritter