A powder boy or powder monkey manned naval artillery guns as a member of a warship's crew, primarily during the Age of Sail. His chief role was to ferry gunpowder from the powder magazine in the ship's hold to the artillery pieces, either in bulk or as cartridges, to minimize the risk of fires and explosions.

Why are they called powder monkeys?

“Powder Monkey” was the moniker used to describe these young boys who had the hazardous duty of running from the powder magazine to the cannons with a load of highly flammable gunpowder strapped to their backs, dodging gunfire from enemy ships while doing so.

What is Powder Monkey job?

Powder monkeys were usually the younger boys, chosen in part because they were short and could fit in the cramped spaces of a sailing warship. Their job was to carry gunpowder from where it was stored in the lower section of a ship to the gun crews manning the cannons on the upper decks.