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.n the modern navy, a quartermaster is a petty officer who specializes in navigation. The rating abbreviation is QM. The symbol used for the rating and worn on uniforms is a ship's wheel.