Quartermaster

quartermaster

Officer who oversees arrangements for the quartering and movement of troops. The office dates at least to the 15th century in Europe. The French minister of war under Louis XIV created a quartermaster general's department that dotted the countryside with strategically located stockpiles of food, forage, ammunition, and equipment. By the 18th century his duties in some European countries included coordinating marches and deployments and drafting operational orders; in the U.S. he remained a specialized administrative and logistical functionary until 1962, when the Quartermaster Corps was absorbed by other agencies.

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quartermaster

a rating in the navy, usually a petty officer, with particular responsibility for steering a ship and other navigational duties

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Quartermaster 

the posts of persons in the armed forces who direct the supply of troops with food, weapons, and military maintenance equipment and who organize everyday services for the personnel.

The post of quartermaster (intendant) originated in France in the 15th century. Intendants directed the various branches of government administration (military and maritime commissaries and commissaries of trade, finance, justice, and so on). Posts of intendants of provinces were created later but then were abolished after the Great French Revolution. Since the 19th century quartermasters have directed only the supply of troops. In Russia from 1801 to 1808 there was a post of quartermaster-general (general-intendant) that supervised both the commissary and provisions departments.

In 1864, the Main Quartermaster Directorate was formed in the Ministry of War and quartermaster positions were created from the highest level to the divisional level. Up to World War I, quartermaster directorates existed in the Russian Army (main, district, fortress, corps, and division) as distribution bodies and commissary establishments (warehouses, workshops, bakeries).

The Red Army in 1935 introduced military titles for military maintenance and administrative personnel: quartermaster technician second and first class, quartermaster third, second, and first class, brigade quartermaster, division quartermaster, corps quartermaster, and army quartermaster. In May 1940 general ranks, with “quartermaster service” added to the title, were introduced for the high commanding personnel of the quartermaster service. In the same year, the post of chief quartermaster of the Red Army was created, along with quartermasters of districts and armies. The quartermasters directed supply of food, clothing, transport, and housing. In March 1942 regular military ranks with the suffix “quartermaster service” were introduced for officers of administrative services.

The post of quartermaster (intendani) was abolished in the Soviet Army in 1955, and its functions were transferred to related rear-line services. In most foreign armies (including the USA, Great Britain, and West Germany) the functions of intendancy are fulfilled by quartermaster, administrative, and other services.

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Quartermaster 

(quartermaster sergeant—Russian, kap-tenarmus; from French capitaine d’armes), the official in a com-pany (battery, squadron) responsible for registration andcustody of weapons and stores in the company depot. In Russia, the post of quartermaster was created in 1716 and retained until1917; in the Soviet Army the post existed from 1918 until the1950’s.

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Quartermaster 

(1) An official (general or officer) of the main or general staff of the armies of France, Prussia, Germany, Russia, and other countries from the 16th to the 20th century in charge of mainly operational questions.

(2) In Russia, an official in a regiment (officer) responsible for various types of administrative work. Such an officer was called a kvartirmistr. From 1881 the post was held by a regimental finance officer, a commander of a noncombatant company, or a weapons officer. In the Soviet Army up until 1928 there existed the post of quartermaster, who was in charge of food and supplies in the regiment.

(3) An official of the department of the army quartermaster general in the armed forces of Great Britain and of the quartermaster service in the armed forces of the USA in charge of providing the ground forces with all types of supplies, quartering the troops, repairing equipment, and so forth.