Leading seaman

Leading seaman is a junior non-commissioned rank or rate in navies, particularly those of the Commonwealth.

The rank is used in the navies of Australia, Bangladesh, Canada (Sailor First Class), Finland, Ghana, Greece, India, Ireland, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

Its Army and Air Force equivalent is corporal, and it is part of the cadre of junior non-commissioned officers.

It is senior to the lowest rank of "seaman" (Russian: матрос, romanized: matros).

The badge is the fouled anchor (an anchor with a length of rope twisted around it), worn on the upper left arm in formal uniform, white front (only when in formal uniform) or overalls and on the shoulder slides in working dress, although this was previously updated to a single hook in the chest centre on the Personal Clothing System (PCS) before reverting back to previous iterations.

A leading rating is often called a "killick", referring to the rank insignia of a fouled anchor.

The shoulder board of a Russian leading seaman
The badge of a Royal Navy leading seaman
Venezuelan insignia