Navy·Consolidated / merged·In Memoriam
Armorer
Served: 1797–1921
The ship's gunsmith — maintained small arms, cutlasses, boarding pikes, and held the keys to the powder-room locks.
The Story
On USS Constitution the Armorer made $18/month — same as the Master-at-Arms, who he equipped. The Armorer also kept the keys to the ship's small-arms chest, which made him the second-most-trusted enlisted man aboard after the MAA.
Epitaph
“Forged the cutlass. Kept the keys. Outranked by a paperwork merger.”
Sources
- USS Constitution Museum — Ranks & Ratesussconstitutionmuseum.org
- NHHC — Enlisted Ratings 1775-1969www.history.navy.mil