Folklore: What is a killick?

Subject: RE: Folklore: What is a killick?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 04:27 AM

He was probably in the same mess as the Medical Assistants,or Sick Berth Attendants as they were called when I joined (1964). One of these would have been a DSA,or Dental Surgery Attendant,whose job it was to give injections of anaesthetic to dental patients,and known colloquially as "The Number".Of course ,the loss of such a person would have painful consequences for future dental attendees,thus it was no joke to "Lose the Number" of your mess.

Subject: RE: Folklore: What is a killick?
From: Jim McLean
Date: 26 Nov 09 - 11:53 AM

In the Concise Scots Dictionary 'Killick' is defined as the 'mouth' of a pickaxe, a leading seaman in the Navy, the anchor badge on his sleeve being likened to a pickaxe. It also says that the word is a variant of gellock which in turn comes from gavelock, a crowbar or lever. 'You takes your pick ..'

Subject: RE: Folklore: What is a killick?
From: GUEST,AB Murphy
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 06:22 AM

In my mess, on the destroyer Athabascan (Tribal class, Canadian navy) our killick was always a "master" seaman. From the posts above, the Royal Navy bequeaths this "hat" to a leading seaman. A leading seaman is one rank below a master seaman (in the RCN). An LS has two chevrons while a MS sports a maple leaf (odd...) above his or her two chevrons. The Killick is the master of the particular junior NCO's mess...ie Stoker's mess (which included the helicopter Junior NCOs, the shiprights or hull techs and the electricians as well as the engineers or nore correctly "mechanics" at the junior level.

Each mess has its own killick. The petty officers and above messed together in the "goat" locker. Not a very nice term considering its origins, but traditions are traditions. The "goats" also had a junior NCO to clean up and organise their "locker"...usually called the "cook".

The killick in the RCN is the first real "unreasonably powerful" person junior NCO's have to deal with. The killicks don't usually resort to official lines of discipline to "correct" a junior NCO. Somewhat like the Bosun of the old sailing days. The knotted rope end comes in various forms nowadays.

Hope that helps some. Very interesting thread this.

Subject: RE: Folklore: What is a killick?
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 26 Sep 10 - 02:21 PM

According to Wikipedia there is no UK equivalent to a Master Seaman (NATO rank code OR-5). Army and RN go straight from OR-4 (corporal / leading seaman) to OR-6 (sergeant / petty officer).

Subject: RE: Folklore: What is a killick?
From: Archie Macaulay
Date: 27 Sep 10 - 07:32 AM

As I was one once, I can tell you that it is a Royal Navy term for a Leading Rate(or Hand)of whatever branch e.g. seaman, marine engineering etc.

The term comes from the killick anchor that the leading hand wears on his left upper arm.

Archie