In these Regulations and Instructions the following terms shall have
the meanings given unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

ADMIRALTY. The Lord High Admiral for the time being and when there shall be no such Lord High Admiral in office, any two or more of the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral.

SUPERIOR AUTHORITY. The officer under whose immediate orders a Flag or other officer may be placed, or is serving at the time. If the Flag or other officer is acting under Admiralty orders, and is not in the presence of a senior officer, it shall mean the Admiralty.

COMMAND. The authority vested in officers and ratings over their subordinates within their own department.

MILITARY COMMAND. The authority vested in officers of the Executive Branch, in Executive officers of the Royal Marines and in ratings and Royal Marine other ranks shewn in Article 0183, to command one or more ships or boats or aircraft, according to their training and duties, or to direct any work or undertaking which requires the co-operation of different branches of the Service. It may be conferred on other officers and ratings by appointment or by direction of superior authority, see 0141

FLAG OFFICER. An Executive officer of the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral, Vice-Admiral or Rear-Admiral.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. An officer appointed as such to the chief command of a fleet, squadron or station; and in general routine duties, the officer in command of a squadron or station, or on whom such command may have devolved.

THE CAPTAIN. The officer appointed to command the ship.

THE COMMANDING OFFICER. The officer or other person on board and in actual command at the moment.

THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The officer carrying out the executive duties of the ship.

THE NAVIGATING OFFICER. The specialist officer of the Navigation Direction Branch, qualified in navigation, who is appointed for or who is carrying out navigating duties, or, in a ship where no qualified officer of the Navigation Direction Branch is borne for navigating duties, the officer whom the Captain may direct to carry out these duties, see 3401.

THE DIRECTION OFFICER. The specialist officer of the Navigation Direction Branch, qualified in Aircraft Direction (or the senior of such officers if two or more are borne), who is appointed for or is carrying out Aircraft Direction duties and who is not the Navigating Officer. The duty of Direction Officer cannot be carried out by a non-specialist officer, see 3420.

THE ENGINEER OFFICER. The officer in charge of the Engineering Department in a ship or establishment.

THE ELECTRICAL OFFICER. The officer in charge of the maintenance of the electrical equipment of a ship and the supply and distribution of electric power in the ship.

THE ROYAL MARINE OFFICER. The officer in charge or command of the detachment of Royal Marines embarked in the ship.

THE SUPPLY OFFICER. The officer in charge of the supply and secretariat duties of a ship or establishment.

THE MEDICAL OFFICER. The officer in charge of the medical duties of a ship or establishment.

THE DENTAL OFFICER. The officer in charge of the dental duties of a ship or establishment.

THE INSTRUCTOR OFFICER. The officer in charge of the academic instruction of officers and men.

OFFICER. Commissioned and subordinate officers, but not to extend to petty or noncommissioned officers except where the words "Superior Officer" are used.

SUPERIOR OFFICER. To include all officers and petty and non-commissioned officers. See also 1906 (3).

SENIOR COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. Officers on the Branch Lists of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines of a rank between Commissioned Officer (Branch List) and Lieutenant.

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS (BRANCH LIST). Officers on the Branch Lists of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in the rank to which they are first promoted from ratings or other ranks, and officers specially entered as Commissioned Officers (Branch List).

BRANCH OFFICERS. Commissioned Officers (Branch List), Senior Commissioned Officers (Branch List), Lieutenants, Lieutenant-Commanders and Commanders promoted on the Branch Lists and officers of corresponding ranks in the Royal Marines.

SUBORDINATE OFFICERS. Acting Sub-Lieutenants and Midshipmen of all branches, Special Entry Naval Cadets of all branches, Cadets training for Short Service Commissions in the Fleet Air Arm and Naval Cadets of the Dartmouth entry when they join the Training Cruiser.

OFFICERS AND RATINGS. Except where the context requires otherwise, the term " officers and ratings " in these regulations is to be read as including all officers, chief petty officers, petty officers and non-commissioned officers, ratings and other ranks of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Women's Royal Naval Service.

PETTY OFFICER. To include chief petty officers and petty officers, and ratings of equivalent status in all branches, except when used as the titles of seaman ratings.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER, ROYAL MARINES. To include all Royal Marines from Lance Corporal up to Regimental Sergeant-Major inclusive.

COMMONWEALTH. The British Commonwealth of Nations, which includes both Members of the Commonwealth (i.e. the fully self-governing countries) and the Colonies and other dependent territories administered by Commonwealth Governments. The expression " other Commonwealth countries " is used to denote the fully self-governing members of the Commonwealth other than the United Kingdom.

HER MAJESTY'S SHIP. The title Her Majesty's Ship (H.M.S.) is confined strictly to commissioned ships flying the white ensign and is not applicable to fleet auxiliaries.

CAPITAL SHIP. Battleship or Aircraft Carrier.

FLAGSHIP. A ship flying the flag of a Flag Officer or the broad pendant of a Commodore First Class.

TENDER. A ship or vessel whose officers and men are appointed or drafted to and borne on the books of another ship being a parent ship.

INDEPENDENT COMMAND. A ship whose officers and men are appointed or drafted direct to her and borne on her books, irrespective of where her accounts are carried.

ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY (R.F.A.). An Admiralty owned fleet auxiliary vessel manned by a mercantile crew.

MERCANTILE FLEET AUXILIARY (M.F.A.). A vessel manned by a mercantile crew and taken up on charter as a fleet auxiliary.

NAVAL ESTABLISHMENT. Any establishment paid for out of Navy Votes and therefore coming under Admiralty control.

FLEET ESTABLISHMENT. Any Naval Establishment manned by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Women's Royal Naval Service, or by civilians engaged for Fleet Services.

CIVIL ESTABLISHMENT. Any Naval Establishment manned upon a civilian basis, e.g. Dockyards, Victualling Yards, Observatories, Naval Armament Depots, etc.

MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT. Naval Hospital or Sick Quarters.

HOSPITAL. Naval Hospital, Hospital Ship or Sick Quarters.

BY TELEGRAM. Embraces all means of rapid communication, except in cases where it is specially desired to indicate a particular form of rapid communication (such as " by wireless," " by cable ").

A MONTH. For all purposes connected with pay and time, except as shewn below or as otherwise provided by statute, the following scale is to be observed whenever the words " month or months " are used

Exceptions. Reckoning by the calendar is to be applied in the following matters:

1. assessing the seniority of officers ;
2. qualifying service for advancement in rating ;
3. date of restoration of good conduct badges ;
4. date of restoration to first class for conduct or leave.

A YEAR. Twelve months or one year shall be reckoned by the calendar for all purposes, except the calculation of "service" and "service in a ship-of-war at sea" necessary to determine the eligibility for promotion of officers of certain ranks, which will continue to be calculated at the rate of 365 days to a year, see Chapter 7.

Notes:

1. Care is to be taken in reckoning service by the calendar to allow for time lost as a result of punishment, etc. (e.g. cells, detention, etc.), or absence from the Service, by adding the number of days lost to the date as indicated by the calendar. When, however, a period exceeding one year is involved, the year (or years) is to be reckoned by the calendar and the number of additional days added thereto.
2. Where a period of twelve months or one year begins on the last day of February of any year, whether that date be the 28th or the 29th of the month, the successive years reckoned by the calendar shall be deemed to end on the day preceding the last day of February, i.e. on the 27th (or on the 28th, if a leap year), and similarly where the period of calculation begins on the first day of March of any year, the successive years reckoned by the calendar shall be deemed to end on the last day of February, i.e. on the 28th (or on the 29th, if a leap year).

YEARLY. On 31st December of each year.

HALF-YEARLY. On 30th June and 31st December.

QUARTERLY. On 31st March, 30th June, 30th September, and 31st December, or by the Quarters ending on those dates.

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