Supply Officer (Royal Navy) - History

History

At first, the business-man and shop-keeper - later to become responsible for pay as well - this officer was first mentioned as a regular member of a ship's company in one of the King's Ships in the fourteenth century. Later known as the clerk and then bursar in the Royal Navy, the name of this warrant officer soon changed to Purser. In the early days, the Purser was a privileged shop-keeper on board ship and, as such, the profession was guilty of many malpractices. Samuel Pepys said of the Purser "A purser without professed cheating is a professed loser."

By the end of the seventeenth century, a new post of captain's clerk was ordained and all Pursers had to pass through this office; this resulted in promotion to the post of Purser largely resting with ship's captains. Gradually, the status of the Purser rose and he received the uniform of a Warrant Officer in 1787. The Purser first received a distinctive uniform in 1805 and by 1808 was officially recognized as a "Warrant Officer of Wardroom rank". The oldest man in the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805, was the Purser of Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory. Limerick-born Purser Walter Burke was then 69 and survived a further ten years, dying in September 1815; his gravestone is in Wouldham churchyard, Kent. Admiral Nelson's Secretary, John Scott, was killed at Trafalgar; his body was sliced in two by a cannonball, while he was talking with Captain Hardy on the quarterdeck; his body parts were thrown over the side.

It had long been the custom for Royal Navy Flag Officers to select as their secretaries "pursers of talent and approved character" and the Purser's other role as a Secretary was generally formalised by 1816.

The Purser became formally responsible in 1825 for the payment of the ship's company. He transformed into the "Purser and Paymaster" in 1842 and became a commissioned officer in 1843. The title of Purser finally disappeared in 1852 and he became the Paymaster.

In 1855 the status of these officers was clarified by Order in Council. They were to be "Accountant officers for cash to the Accountant General of the Navy ..." and the ranks of Assistant-Paymaster, Clerk and Assistant Clerk emerged. In 1864, these officers were authorised to wear a white strip of distinction cloth between the gold rings on their arms.

By 1867, it was laid down that a Paymaster of 15 years' seniority should rank with a Commander and in 1886 followed the distinction between Fleet Paymaster (ranking with Commander) and Staff Paymaster (ranking with Lieutenants of 8 years' seniority). A Paymaster-in-Chief ranked with a four-stripe captain.

In March, 1918 a Paymaster-in-Chief was appointed Paymaster Director-General and, on 8 November 1918, the-then Paymaster Director-General, William Whyte, was given the rank and style of Paymaster Rear-Admiral. At the same time, the branch's other ranks were standardized: a Paymaster-in-Chief became Paymaster Captain; Fleet Paymaster became Paymaster Commander; Staff Paymaster became Paymaster Lieutenant-Commander; Paymaster became Paymaster Lieutenant; Assistant Paymaster became Paymaster Sub-Lieutenant; Clerk became Paymaster Midshipman and Assistant Clerk became Paymaster Cadet. Paymaster Rear-Admiral was established as a rank in its own right by Order in Council of 20 December, 1918 applied retroactively to 6 March, 1918.

On 26 October 1944 the whole Accountant Branch name was changed from Paymaster to Supply and Secretariat, and the word Paymaster was dropped from its place in front of the rank, e.g. a Paymaster Commander became a Commander (S).

Thus, in late 1944, the Supply Officer came into being (see - page 302>). As with their Paymaster predecessors, Supply Officers were employed, ashore and afloat, as a ship's Supply Officer, with responsibility for ratings from the Writer branch (see ), the Stores and Victualling branches, Cooks and Officers' Stewards and, if borne, the NAAFI Canteen Manager.

They were also employed, ashore and afloat, as Admiral's Secretary, Commodore's Secretary and Captain's Secretary. It was not uncommon for a Secretary to follow the same senior officer from one post to the next and, sometimes, a Secretary in the substantive rank of Lieutenant-Commander would be promoted Acting Commander and then Temporary Captain - thus, such a Lieutenant-Commander would be listed as Temporary Acting Captain.