Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy

Commander

The rank of commander evolved in smaller types of early warships. In the larger warships of the sixteenth century, the captain would have a master as his chief navigator, while he commanded the firing of the guns, but in smaller ships the two offices were combined, as master and commander. The master and part was dropped in the mid-eighteenth century, but it was not until 1794 that the rank officially existed in the Royal Navy. Today, the rank insignia consists of three standard bars, the topmost bar featuring an executive curl.

Added: 2014-11-01 Last modified: 2022-01-14