I have just found a site that may make the classification a little less than you thought. http://www.history.navy.mil/library/...pers16701.htm. Follow the listing to Laundry. I believe that the SSML would be Ship's Service Man L. The rate would be a Laundry Supervisor.

Well, folks, it appears that QM Steve has solved the mystery!

LOL!

SSML is an obsolete classification of the WW2 era.

I confirmed his findings on a website I visited called www.bluejacket.com

Site seems to have a wealth of info on things Navy.

The GENERAL classification was "SH" for "Ship's Serviceman" and had the sub-classifications

SSMB - Ship's Serviceman Barber

SSMC - Ship's Serviceman Cobbler

SSML - Ship's Serviceman Laundry

SSMT - Ship's Serviceman Tailor

The "2" at the end has correctly been identified as the rank, and sometimes the classification was written as SSML2/c or SSML/2c.

A sailor with this classification would have been a supervisor of laundry services.

Perhaps not as illustrious as submarine services, but NO LESS HONORABLE in my eyes.

My uncle served his country in the great WW2 in the finest Navy in the world.

If he was on a ship in a combat zone then he had a battle station somewhere on the ship and actively battled the enemy.

He would have had enemy planes or shells coming down on him just like everyone else on board.

I'm very proud of him, and I'd like to thank you all for your contributions to this thread.

Steve / 82Rigger

Steve, sorry for my misleading information. I took a guess with out doing any research. I should have know better, the tip off was the SS in front of what I thought was the rate ML2.
Again I apologize, and next time I'll do my homework!

SH,

No need for an apology. No way you could have known that the classification is now obsolete.

Anyway, I had fun researching it, and learned some new stuff! :)

Steve / 82Rigger