Posted by Paul Flint on November 30, 1998 at 23:02:54:
In Reply to: Re: Captain and Commander posted by the Murrelets on November 30, 1998 at 06:25:36:
The Murrelets are quite right to point out the potentially confusing terminology in relation to rank and role in the Royal Navy. I think the two become confused in some of the AR books.
In the RN sea-going command is exercised by officers in the Executive Branch (Seaman Officers) of which Ted Walker would appear to have been one.
Correctly, the officer in command of an RN ship is the Commanding Officer, sometimes known also as the Captain. That person may be of any rank from Captain to Lieutenant depending on type of ship. Next to the Commanding Officer is the "Executive Officer", who may be of any rank from Commander to Sub-Lieutenant responsible to the CO for overall fighting efficiency, organisation and routine. In ships where the Executive Officer is of Commander's rank, he is known as"the Commander"; otherwise he (and now she) is known as the First Lieutenant. In ships where the Executive Officer is a Commander another officer of the seaman specialisation is known as the First Lieutenant.
To confuse things further, in shore establishments the chain of command can differ from ships, and when writing to the officer in command of establishment he is generally referred to as the Captain, to distinguish him from a sea-going officer in command (ie Commanding Officer)! However, diffeernt types of establishments attract different titles.
The term "skipper" is never used officially in the RN, and is generally fround upon - the view being that it refers to persons in charge of fishing vessels, coasters, etc!
The above is probably as clear as mud and, in my experience in the RN, the terminology sometimes confused serving officers and ratings.
In Secret Water Commander Walker is in the process of being appointed to a shore-based job at Shotley - almost certainly to the ratings' training establishment HMS GANGES. If of Commander rank he would not have been the officer in charge of the establishment, who would have been a full (four ring) Captain.
RN ranks:
Sub-Lieutenant (one ring on uniform)
Lieutenant (two rings)
Lieutenant Commander (two and a half rings)
Commander (three rings)
Captain (four rings)
Commodore (one very thick ring - in effect a senior captain filling a post designated for a Commodore - the rank goes with the post, not the person)
Rear Admiral (one very thick ring plus one ring)
etc, etc