Engineering {STOKER & E.R.A.} branch

[RCN]

Engineering branch – Stokers & ERA’s.

After the Seaman branch, the next largest branch on board any ship of the pre WWII era was the Stoker & ERA (Engine Room Artificer) branch.
The ships of the coal burning era required a huge number of stokers to maintain & move the coal from bunkers to furnaces, & to service & maintain the multitude of auxiliary machinery on board a cruiser or B/S of the pre WWII period. When ships were fitted with oil burning & turbine capabilities Stokers & ERA's were even more important to the smooth running of the complex machinery required to run a capital ship.

ERA’s were skilled 'fitters & turners' (to use the parlance of the period), & included other skilled trades such as moulders, patternmakers, coppersmiths, boilermakers, welders, etc. Most were skilled machinists who could fabricate almost anything out of ferrous & non ferrous metal. They were responsible for maintaining the ship’s engines & all of the auxiliary machinery on board.

Stokers wore, as their rate badge, the three bladed ship’s propellor, & altho stokers had been in the RN since the first days of steam, they did not receive their distinctive rate badge until 1890. The Stoker rate badge was to remain unchanged until the new Canadian RCN rate badges made their appearance in 1950.

ERA’s, for some unknown reason, never received a distinctive rate badge.

Mechanicians:

In 1906 the rate of Mechanician was introduced. Stokers who showed mechanical ability could take courses to upgrade themselves to Mechanician. A mechanician was a step between Stoker & ERA, & was a somewhat skilled rating but not trained up to the level of an ERA. So they performed mainly machine related duties. When oil fuel was introduced in the RN mechanicians were trained on turbine operation & maintainance.

Illustrated below are the pre war & wartime Stoker rate badges.
How the badges were designated depended upon the time frame.
Generally the three bladed propellor rate badge designated a Stoker 2nd class, then adding the star above when he was rated Stoker 1st class.

Mechanician rate was star above & star below the propellor.

The Crown above the propellor did not make its appearance until 1914 & designated Stoker PO & Chief Stoker.

Of all the Naval rate badges the Stoker badge is probably the most commonly seen today. I will show some variants of Stoker's badges in the next post....

[RCN]

Seen are many variants of the Stoker rate badges. Some are embroidered in cotton thread & some are in silk thread. It is quite possible some may also be embroidered in rayon thread.
This is due to the many different manufacturers of the rate badges.
During WWII the gold thread embroidery badges were seen. They started appearing circa 1943.

Here are some variants for Stoker & Stoker PO in red & yellow embroidery:

[boots and saddles]

Very interesting Bryan, nice to see you back on the forum, you stay away too long. Now if we could get a RCAF or any Air Force expert, we would be well away. Ray

[RCN]

Motor mechanics were separate from Stoker mechanics.

Motor Mechanic was an RCNVR/RCNR rate. These ratings were generally qualified Automobile or Marine mechanics in civil life.
They operated & maintained the engines of the smaller vessels - harbour , shore patrol boats, & MTB’s in the RN & RCN. During the war they were also involved with the various types of Landing craft’s engine operation & maintainance. They were also trained in petrol(gasoline) engine maintenance, & maintained the engines for the shore vehicles.

The Motor Mechanic rate badge appeared in 1923 & was in existence until 1949.

Below are illustrated some of the Motor Mechanic rate badges & some variations.