Jackspeak of the Royal Canadian Navy

Quarterdeck

The quarter deck is the upper deck aft of the superstructure or, on ships with flightdecks, aft of the flight deck area. The name derives from the great men o' war; the quarterdeck was a raised section of the upper deck at the after end, where the helm position was. A service member always salutes the quarterdeck when coming aboard or proceeding ashore, as a mark of respect. The origin of this custom is somewhat obscure, but is thought to come from the location of the tabernacle, which is where the ship's chaplain kept the consecrated bread, which in the Christian faith is considered to be the body of Christ; thus, the salute was a mark of respect to the visible presence of God onboard. Another theory is that, as this is where the ship's master would be in battle, the authority of command was in that particular place.

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