USS Missouri
Clarence Gehling
Present at Surrender
Years: 1945 to 1945
Rate: CX
Explain the rate CX.
Hm...don’t know. Perhaps it was an early designation of Cryptologist Technician or something? Never heard that one...but to be there at that point in history...that is really something!
This is a very old Navy usage. I believe CX is how they refered to what we would call a 3rd class Boatwain mate (BM3) today. It stood for Coxswain. These junior petty officers were the small boat handlers for the ship. A battleship or a carrier may have between 15 and 20 Coxswains to drive the Admiral’s Barge, the Captain’s Gig and the many small boats necessary to carry the crew and supplies while the ship was anchored in harbor. Their insignia was an eagle with crossed anchors and 1 red strip, worn on the right sleeve of their uniform jumper. This is the current BM3 insignia except it is worn on the left sleeve today. The term is no longer used to refer to a 3/c BM and probably ended at the end of WWII.
Though the petty officer in charge of a small boat is still referred to as a coxswain when he is handling the boat.