Apprentice officers Royal Navy (1662–1836) Origins midshipman The rank of midshipman originated during the
Tudor and
Stuart eras, and originally referred to a post for an experienced seaman promoted from the ordinary deck hands, who worked in between the
main and
mizzen masts and had more responsibility than an ordinary seaman, but was not a military officer or an officer in training. The first published use of the term midshipman was in 1662. The word derives from an area aboard a ship,
amidships, but it refers either to the location where midshipmen worked on the ship, By the 18th century, four types of midshipman existed: midshipman (original rating),
midshipman extraordinary, midshipman (apprentice officer), and
midshipman ordinary. Some midshipmen were older men, and while most were officer candidates who failed to pass the lieutenant examination or were passed over for promotion, some members of the original rating served, as late as 1822, alongside apprentice officers without themselves aspiring to a commission. By 1794, all midshipmen were considered officer candidates, and the original rating was phased out.
Entry as a midshipman Beginning in 1661, boys who aspired to become officers were sent by their families to serve on ships with a "letter of service" from the crown, and were paid at the same rate as midshipmen. The letter instructed the admirals and captains that the bearer was to be shown "such kindness as you shall judge fit for a gentleman, both in accommodating him in your ship and in furthering his improvement". Their official rating was
volunteer-per-order, but they were often known as King's letter boys, to distinguish their higher social class from the original midshipman rating. Beginning in 1677, Royal Navy regulations for promotion to lieutenant required service as a midshipman, and promotion to midshipman required some time at sea. By the Napoleonic era, the regulations required at least three years of services as a midshipman or
master's mate and six years of total sea time. In 1729, the
Royal Naval Academy in
Portsmouth – renamed the Royal Naval College in 1806 – was founded, for 40 students aged between 13 and 16, who would take three years to complete a course of study defined in an illustrated book, and would earn two years of sea time as part of their studies. Boys aspiring for a commission were often called
young gentlemen instead of their
substantive rating to distinguish their higher social standing from the ordinary sailors. Generally, aboard most warships common seamen berthed in the
gundeck, while officers were quartered at the stern. Occasionally, a midshipman would be posted aboard a ship in a lower rating such as
able seaman but would eat and sleep with his social equals in the
cockpit. Approximately 50% of midshipmen were the sons of professional men, which included the sons of naval officers, and there were notable sailing families throughout the
Age of Sail, such as the
Saumarez,
Hood, and
Parker families. The niceties of preferment and promotion made family connections an obvious advantage for prospective officers. Members of the
peerage and
landed gentry formed the next largest group, about 27% of officers. The numbers were smaller, but similarly, their connections gave them excellent prospects for promotion, and they had a considerable influence on the Royal Navy. A notable member of this group was Prince William, later
William IV, who served as a midshipman from 1780 to 1785. The rest were from commercial or
working class backgrounds, and because of the advantages possessed by the nobility and professional sailors, their chances of promotion to lieutenant were slim. This allowed some boys to be promoted to midshipmen, or in some cases lieutenant, without having completed the required amount of time at sea. A notable example was
Thomas Cochrane, whose uncle had him entered at the age of five; his name was carried on various ships until he was 18 and received his commission. When
uniforms were introduced in the Navy in 1748, midshipmen started wearing the same uniform as commissioned officers. They also began wearing their traditional badge of rank, a white patch of cloth with a gold button and a twist of white cord on each side of the coat collar. The uniform emphasized that midshipmen were gentlemen and officers under instruction. Prior to promotion to lieutenant, a commissioned officer candidate in the Royal Navy had to pass a formal examination. Officially, a prospective lieutenant was at least 19, and was expected to produce proof of his service, which would include certificates from his commanders and journals kept while a midshipman. The candidate was summoned before a board of three captains and questioned about
seamanship,
navigation, and
discipline. The board would ask questions such as: An enemy is observed; give orders for clearing your ship, and make all the necessary preparations for engaging. From the 18th century until the second half of the 19th century, a midshipman in the Royal Navy who passed the lieutenant's examination did not automatically receive a commission. Midshipmen with political connections were promoted first, while others would wait their turn on a roster. During wartime, when large numbers of ships and men might be lost in battle, most passed midshipman would be promoted in a year or two, but during peacetime the wait might be so long that the midshipman would eventually be considered too old and lose his chance for a commission. Passed midshipmen awaiting promotion often elected to become master's mates, a high-ranking petty officer who assisted the
master with his duties, served on watch as deputy to the lieutenants, and commanded small boats. A midshipman who became master's mate earned an increase in pay from £2 5s to £3 16s per month but initially reduced his chances at a commission because master's mates, along with masters, were assumed to have a working-class background. Over time, however, appointment to master's mate became considered a normal part of the path to a commission; the situation caused some confusion during the last part of the 18th century, when two parallel roles – master's mates trying to become masters, and former midshipmen working toward a commission – held the same title and responsibilities aboard ship. By the first years of the 19th century, the term 'mate', without the prefix master's, was used for
passed midshipmen, to distinguish them from master's mates who had not served as midshipmen. In 1824, the rating of master's assistant replaced master's mate, and mate continued to be used unofficially by passed midshipmen. These changes helped eliminate the confusion caused by the mingling of midshipmen in the navigator's branch. In 1861 mate was abolished in favour of
sub-lieutenant. A decline in qualified officers prompted the Navy to order training in a ship at anchor for all cadets, which began in 1857 aboard
HMS Illustrious, which was replaced by
HMS Britannia in 1859.
Britannia was moved to
Portland in 1862, and to the present location of the
Britannia Royal Naval College,
Dartmouth in 1863. Beginning in the 1840s the normal entry age for executive officer cadets, those destined to command ships and fleets, was between 12 and 13, and instruction consisted of two years of classroom training, during which time trainees were rated as naval cadets. Cadets who received a first-class passing grade in studies, seamanship and conduct on their final examination could receive a credit for up to a year of sea time, and could be rated as midshipmen immediately after passing out of the college. After passing the examination for lieutenant, midshipmen were commissioned as sub-lieutenants, and were transferred to the
Royal Naval College, Greenwich, which opened in 1873 as the 'University of the Navy'. Previously engineer cadets had been trained separately at the
Royal Naval Engineering College, Keyham, which was closed in 1910. In 1913, increasing demand for officers led to recruitment of 18-year-old graduates of
public schools, which was called 'Special Entry', and was conducted separately from Selborne scheme cadets. Special entry cadets trained for approximately 6 months prior to service in the fleet as midshipmen. During the war, two midshipmen,
George Drewry and
Wilfred Malleson were awarded the
Victoria Cross, the highest award of the
British Commonwealth for gallantry, during the
Landing at Cape Helles. After World War I ended, opposition to the Selborne-Fisher scheme led to re-segregating executive and engineering officers into separate branches, while common entry and special entry were maintained. After 1957, midshipmen no longer served in the fleet.
Commonwealth navies As
Dominions of the
British Empire formed their own navies during the 20th century, further countries began using the rank of midshipman. Today Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, India,
Singapore,
Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh,
Kenya, and
Brunei use the rank. Prior to 1968 Canada also used the rank of midshipman, until the
National Defence Act consolidated the Royal Canadian Navy with the Army and Air Force into a single military, called the Canadian Forces. As part of the act, the rank of midshipman was replaced with the rank of naval cadet.
United States Navy (1794–1845) When Congress created the
United States Navy in 1794, midshipman was listed as a rank of warrant officer in the
Naval Act of 1794, and they were appointed by the
President of the United States. Midshipmen had similar duties and responsibilities as in the Royal Navy, and were typically young men between the age of 14 and 22 in training to become a naval officer. "Passed midshipman" was first used in 1819, and was an official rank of the US Navy. During the long period of peace between 1815 and 1846 midshipmen had few opportunities for promotion, and their warrants were often obtained via
patronage. The poor quality of officer training in the US Navy became visible after the
Somers Affair, an alleged
mutiny aboard the training ship
USS Somers in 1842, and the subsequent execution of midshipman
Philip Spencer. Spencer had gained his post aboard the
Somers via the influence of his father,
United States Secretary of War John C. Spencer.
United States Navy from 1845 Congress formally authorized the establishment of the
United States Military Academy in 1802, but it took almost 50 years to approve a similar school for naval officers. One major reason for the delay was that Navy leaders preferred the apprenticeship system, citing famous officers such as
Nelson and the captains of the
War of 1812 who did not attend a formal naval school.
George Bancroft, appointed
Secretary of the Navy in 1845, decided to work outside of congressional approval and create a new academy for officers. Midshipman began to mean "passed midshipman" at this time, and a student at the Naval Academy was a cadet midshipman. In 1874, Congress changed the curriculum to include four years of classroom training and two years of sea duty aboard a regular vessel prior to examinations as warranted midshipmen. In 1882, Congress eliminated the distinction in training between engineer and naval cadets, and designated the student officers as naval cadets; the name reverted to midshipmen in 1902. In 1930, the Naval Academy received
accreditation as an approved technological institution. • In the U.K. there are also Marine Electro-Technical Cadets • Cadets may be in a commercial training program, or may be students at state, regional, or National
maritime colleges or academies.
Snotty In Royal Navy slang, a midshipman is sometimes referred to as a "snotty". Two popular stories give origins for the term: the first claims that it arose from a shortage of handkerchiefs among midshipmen, who would consequently use their sleeves to wipe their noses. Prince William, later
William IV, is sometimes cited as a notorious example of this practice among midshipmen. The other story claims that the three buttons formerly sewn onto midshipmen's jacket cuffs were placed there to prevent them from wiping their noses on their sleeves. ==Modern usage==