"Quartermaster is a military or naval term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service.In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores and distributes supplies and provisions. In many navies, quartermaster is a non-commissioned officer (petty officer) rank. In some navies, it is not a rank but a role related to navigation.The term appears to derive from the title of a German royal official, the Quartiermeister."@en . . .