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Ordinary Seaman (rank)

 

 
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Ordinary Seaman (rank)
 
 
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In the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
 in the middle of the 18th century, the term Ordinary Seaman was used to refer to a seaman
Seaman

Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. In Commonwealth of Nations context it refers to the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
 with between one and two years' experience at sea, who showed enough seamanship
Seamanship

Seamanship is the art of operating a ship or boat.It involves a knowledge of a variety of topics and development of specialised skills including: navigation and international maritime law; weather, meteorology and forecasting; watchstanding; ship-handling and small boat handling; operation of deck equipment, anchors and cables; ropework an...
 to be so rated
Naval rating

The term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed....
 by their captain. A seaman with less than a year's experience was referred to as a Landman
Landman (rank)

Landman was a military rank given to naval recruits.In the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom in the middle of the 18th century, the term Landman referred to a seaman with less than a year's experience at sea....
, and one with more than two years' experience was referred to as an Able Seaman
Able Seaman (rank)

Royal NavyIn the United Kingdom Royal Navy in the middle of the 18th century, the term Able Seaman referred to a seaman with at least two years' experience at sea....
.

Later, the term was formalized as a rating for the lowest normal grade of seaman
Seaman

Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. In Commonwealth of Nations context it refers to the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
.






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In the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
 in the middle of the 18th century, the term Ordinary Seaman was used to refer to a seaman
Seaman

Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. In Commonwealth of Nations context it refers to the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
 with between one and two years' experience at sea, who showed enough seamanship
Seamanship

Seamanship is the art of operating a ship or boat.It involves a knowledge of a variety of topics and development of specialised skills including: navigation and international maritime law; weather, meteorology and forecasting; watchstanding; ship-handling and small boat handling; operation of deck equipment, anchors and cables; ropework an...
 to be so rated
Naval rating

The term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed....
 by their captain. A seaman with less than a year's experience was referred to as a Landman
Landman (rank)

Landman was a military rank given to naval recruits.In the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom in the middle of the 18th century, the term Landman referred to a seaman with less than a year's experience at sea....
, and one with more than two years' experience was referred to as an Able Seaman
Able Seaman (rank)

Royal NavyIn the United Kingdom Royal Navy in the middle of the 18th century, the term Able Seaman referred to a seaman with at least two years' experience at sea....
.

Later, the term was formalized as a rating for the lowest normal grade of seaman
Seaman

Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. In Commonwealth of Nations context it refers to the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
. They are not trained in any special task. They are required to work at physically hard tasks of great variety. One needs an Ordinary Seaman Certificate to obtain work. One can become an Able Seaman as a promotion from this position.

The term Ordinary Seaman is currently used in the Canadian Forces (who inherited the military ranking structure from the previous generation of Royal Navy, Army, and Air Force ranks.) It denotes an enlistee who is currently in training as a Non-Commission Member (NCM) of the Forces.