US NAVY WWII Rating S1c(FC)

[The DIY Blonde]

I'm seriously confused with this Navy rating from WWII: S1c(FC)

 

I know S1c is Seaman 1st Class and is an E3.

I also know that FC is Fire Controlman.

 

So, does this mean he was an FC striker?

BUT, how can a Seaman be FC striker? Shouldn't a Fireman be striking for an FC rating?

 

OR, was a Fire Controlman some sort of a gunnery? Maybe that's it?!?

 

I was a MM3 in the late 80s/early 90s and being that I never saw a lot of daylight and my memory is pretty bad now a days, I guess that's my excuse for not being able to figure this out

 

Figuring out some of these WWII rates is like code work! LOL!

[Allan H.]

I Believe that the rank is Signalman 1st Class with a Fire Control Specialty. There is no Seaman First Class rank in the US Navy.

 

Allan

[patches]

I beat you to it Justin.

 

Here's your most excellent site

 

http://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_enl_seaman.html

[Justin B.]

Seaman Fire Controlman was a designation for qualified non-rated men in WW2, I believe it got the sailor a couple of extra bucks a month. It was indeed gunnery related, and any seaman could qualify, not just FC strikers. The seaman fire controlman designation was abolished in 1945.

 

There is no Seaman First Class rank in the US Navy.

But there was before 1948.

 

I beat you to it Justin.

 

Here's your most excellent site

 

http://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_enl_seaman.html

Ah thanks, but unfortunately that's something I haven't got in there!

 

Justin B.

[The DIY Blonde]

Thanks guys, you definitely summed that up well for me!

[jguy1986]

Justin nailed it.

 

I have jumper from a sailor who was a S1c(RM). He never made it to RM3c, but he wore a radioman striker on his sleeve to show his specialized training.

[RCraig]

Does anyone know what an S1c® would mean, the part I don't know about is the ®. This was for a Coastguardsman who was on a troop transport ship in WW2.

I thought the ® might stand for Radioman, but based on the post above that would have been (RM).

So I am at a loss as to what the ® might mean.

Thanks!

[RCraig]

Actually, it is S1c(R in parentheses). The R seems to have gotten changed to an R in a circle on the post.

 

Thanks if anyone has any ideas.

[topdcnut]

He could have been a ship board striker but he may have graduated from FC school before reporting to his ship

[RCraig]

Sorry, I also posted under a title that is misleading. I am trying to understand what S1c(R[in parentheses]) means, for a Navy man in World War 2. What does the R mean, I have not been able to figure that out.

 

Thanks so much for responding!

[topdcnut]

I was responding to the original post, I think, in general a specialty after the rank of S1c refers to having graduated from that school. It can mean they struck for that specialty on board. As to the ® designation NAPPERS 15004 May 1943 shows this to be Recruiter and would be noted in the record as Specialist First Class or S1c®

[topdcnut]

S1c( R )

[RCraig]

Yes, in the Navy in WW2, a Seaman first class, or S1c, that is what this guy was. On his records, it is listed as an

S1c( R ) or Sea1cR

That is a good way of writing it so that it won't be changed to an R with a circle around it. But I cannot figure out what the R stands for. I don't think it is for Recruiter because he served on a ship.

[topdcnut]

I messed that all up Is your guy a S1c( R ) or Sp1c ( R ) ? because the booklet I am in is referring to Sp1c ( R ) as a First Class petty officer and the other specialties as Radio Tech ( RT) Radarman (RdM) and Radioman (RM). If the ( R ) is a specialty he would need to a Sp1c and not a S1c. Wow, glad they do not use this system today.

[RCraig]

Well, it is mostly my fault for posting on a thread about S1c(FC), and also the program changes Rs in parentheses to Rs in circles, so it is amazing that we are reading each other well!

The guy I am following was in the Navy in WW2. Re-looking at his records, his rating was Sea1cR, sometimes written as S1c( R ). Sometimes the R is left off, but sometimes it is there. I am just wondering whether it has any meaning. As you point out, Radioman would be (RM) and Radarman (RdM), so it doesn't seem to be that. Also, he took a few classes in using antiaircraft guns, but I didn't see any special training about Radio or Radar.

Thanks again for responding!

[topdcnut]

It is possible that this is related to something else entirely such as Permanent ( P ) and Temporary ( T ) designations or even ignorance or laziness on the part of the Yeoman making the entry

[RCraig]

Wow, that is good information about the (T). I have another guy I am following who has a (T) after his rating!!!! Thanks so much

[RCraig]

P.S. Another Wow. I am just realizing that the guy was at first an S1c( R ), and then 3 months later the ( R ) disappears and he is referred to as an S1c. So it may well be some sort of trial period that is designated by the ( R ).

[Salvage Sailor]

Reference link: Naval History and Heritage Command - US Navy Abbreviations of World War II https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/us-navy-abbreviations-of-ww2/r.html

 

--R--

Note: Where the same abbreviation has more than one meaning, the several meanings have been arranged alphabetically. Abbreviations preceded by an asterisk (*), other than Navy numbers, may never be used singly; those preceded by the symbol for number (#) are the Bureau of Personnel Condensation Code for use in dispatch orders to personnel.

R -- Aeronca Aircraft Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)

R -- American Aviation Corporation (Glider)

R -- Brunswick-Balke-Callender (aircraft company) (manufacturer's symbol)

R -- Damage Control, Construction and Repair Division of a carrier

R -- Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation (manufacturer's symbol)

R -- Maxson-Brewster (W.L. Maxson Corporation) (aircraft) (manufacturer's symbol)

R -- Radial (aircraft engine)

R -- Radio Phone Company

( R ) -- Reduced Operation

R -- Resister; Resistance

R -- Ryan Aeronautical Company (manufacturer's symbol)

R -- Converted to a transport (suffix to plane designation); as, PBM-3R

R -- A suffix which, when appended to a basic USNR officer classification, indicates special qualifications in Electronics

[Justin B.]

We should keep in mind that although the USCG functioned as an "arm" of the Navy in WW2, they still had their own personnel organization and USN classifications do not necessarily apply. I suspect that the ( R) was for the USCG Reserve or Regular Reserve. I hope Master's Mate might be able to shed some more light on this!

 

The "auto correction" that the forum software makes for R in parentheses also happens with C in parentheses and is really annoying.

 

Justin B.

[RCraig]

Excellent points all. It is very true that he was actually in the Coast Guard Reserve. However, the Reserve was used as Coast Guardsmen during WW2, and as pointed out Coast Guardsmen manned some of the Navy Ships. Looking more at this guy's records, he started as

A.S. (Apprentice Seaman)

after 3 months he got promoted to Sea2c( R )

after 6 more months he got promoted to Sea1c ( R )

3 months later the ( R ) seems to have been dropped and he is referred to as Sea1c

 

I think I am not going to worry too much about the ( R ), I am not sure it means much in terms of what he actually did.

 

I much appreciate all the responses and attention to detail.

[Justin B.]

Excellent points all. It is very true that he was actually in the Coast Guard Reserve. However, the Reserve was used as Coast Guardsmen during WW2, and as pointed out Coast Guardsmen manned some of the Navy Ships.

Yes indeed, pretty much all the services' reserves were used as active duty in the war, but their status was still "tracked" on some level, depending on the kind of record. That's why you sometimes see various "O" and "V" classifications on USN rolls. Also the USN regular/reserve/draftee classifications changed during the war, and maybe the record-keeping standards, too. My feeling is that the R is a service classification, not related to rating, but I would have to get hold of a WW2 USCG personnel manual to be sure.

 

Justin B.

.

[RCraig]

Ok, thanks so much for the information. I haven't run into any "O" or "V" listing yet, but I have not done that many Coast Guard and Navy people. Much appreciated!

[MastersMate]

A very good possibility that the ® with the Seaman 1 class indicates that he held the fire control Rangefinder Operator distinguishing mark.

 

The Coast Guard in WW2 had a rating of Firecontrolman ( Rangefinder) FCR and Firecontrolman (Operator ??) FCO. The rangefinder operator distinguishing mark was used in the CG from 1930.

[RCraig]

This is fantastically interesting. I have to learn more about fire control rangefinder operator. I know nothing. Thanks so much, I will get to work to learn more.