Hello and welcome to a story about a part of the Royal Navy which is rarely told. Oh there are many web sites touching upon the story, but none devoting more than a few lines and pictures to what is a very important rank, which truly could be said to be the back bone of the Navy.

What follows is a BIG page full of bold fonts, bold pictures and a fascinating story about the NAVAL WARRANT OFFICER. However, it has many social cameo's and touches all parts of the Navy and its structure.

There are two types, officer-warrant officers and rating-warrant officers, and my story is about the officer type, with references to the rating type from 1970 to 1983.  Officer-warrant officers date from antiquity until 1949 when the rank was withdrawn.  Then followed a period of twenty years without a Naval warrant officer.  In 1970 their Lordships conceived the idea of a Master Rate, and the word 'rate' meant that the holder of such a warrant  would manifestly be a 'senior' senior rate. Thus was launched the Fleet Chief Petty Officer rate, which, apart from its title {which lasted from its inception  until the day I left the Service [27 June 1983] and longer},  was an Army-style first class warrant officer. I make no comment on, or reference to, this rate post mid 1983.

The page  has a great deal of information and for that reason has been split into three separate parts. The best results will be achieved if the browser is using "browser IE6" and is connected via Broadband.  As always, some browsers may not be compatible and the slowness of the 56k modem may cause frustration. It is also advisable to start off with as much Physical Memory [RAM] and Resources [System, User and Graphics] as possible. Many programmes hold on to Memory/Resources  they use, even after the offending programme has been closed,  and the only way to release them is to do a  restart.  A restart [reboot] always maximises your memory, releases resources, and your machines will come back fighting fit.

        ENTER HERE and enjoy your visit.