Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a non-commissioned officer in the army; also attrib.

1864		Moulton letter in Drickamer Fort Lyon to Harper’s Ferry (1987) 171: I attended a ‘social hop’ last night [...] which came off under the auspices of the ‘non-commish’ of our Regiment.
1865		W. Hilleary diary 15 June in A Webfoot Volunteer (1965) 83: Three men & one Non. Com. are detailed each day to herd the mules.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1879		H. Hartigan Stray Leaves (2nd ser.) 137: The worthy‘non-com’ walked off.
c.1880		‘O’Reilly’ [US army poem] A rank and duty non-com, he knew his business well, / But since he’s tumbled down the pole, / O’Reilly’s gone to Hell.
1890		Kipling ‘The Big Drunk Draf’’ in Soldiers Three (1907) 36: Can you trust your non-coms, Sorr?
1898		Philipsburg Mail (MT) 19 Aug. 2/3: Holcum had done fairly well for a noncom.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 23 June 10/3: The first day one of the young hopefuls appeared in full war-paint a non-com. had to carefully explain to him the proper way to draw his sword.
1916		‘A-No. 1’ Snare of the Road 83: The ‘non-comish’ who’s putting us through the stunts is one of the ship mates I dosed with salty Java.
1919		J. Buchan Mr Standfast (1930) 649: I could realize what his associates must mean to him, and how he would relish the rough tonguing of non-coms.
1920		Bulletin (Sydney) 19 Feb. 15/3: Three of our non-coms [...] talking together.
1927		(con. 1914–18) L. Nason Three Lights from a Match 69: The Greek and the two non-coms sat and shivered.
1935		C.G. Finney Circus of Dr Lao 87: Just about the time the non-com pulls the trigger, the big boy jerks his head to one side.
1944		H. Brown Walk in Sun 88: In one morning we’ve lost one lieutenant, two non-coms.
1952		J. Jones From Here to Eternity (1998) 34: She must have some kind of perverse yen for all her husband’s noncoms because he cant take care of her.
1962		(con. 1940s) G. Mandel Wax Boom 80: It appears there’s insubordination among the noncoms themselves.
1978		W. Diehl Sharky’s Machine 269: We’ll spend a night at the noncom club.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 26: The massive gym was full; officers and wives in the ringside seats, non-coms in the middle, other ranks with their birds at the back.