1830
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Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
introduced for having completed 15 years undetected crime: a twenty pound
gratuity was also payable - the sum due remains the same to this day.
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1852 |
First Sailors "Home Club" set up at Portsmouth later know as the Royal Portsmouth Sailors Home |
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1853
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A form of Continuous
Service Engagement
was introduced with a pension after a fixed number
of years, but was not as successful as the later Continuous Service Engagement
introduced in 1870, which lasted through to 1956 and later for apprentices.
From 1853 seamen entering the Navy were given a continuous service (CS)
number.
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1853
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Chief Petty Officer and Leading Rate introduced
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1858
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Shipwright ratings introduced |
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1858
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Captain's allowed to grant regular leave
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1862
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The Royal Marine Artillery with HQ at Eastney formed into a separate division
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1865
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Proposals introduced to create the Navigating Branch for officers, thus replacing Masters and Second Masters etc. This was to be phased in over a period of time.
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1866
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Naval Savings Bank introduced
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1867
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Morse Code introduced for night signalling following the sinking of the Griffon after collision with the Pandora in Oct 1866
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24 Jun 1869
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The full set formally allowed (i.e. beard and moustache) if worn together and kept trimmed
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1869
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Woolwich division of Royal Marines abolished
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1870ish
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Hammocks and bedding issued free for first time
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1870ish
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Free Uniform for boys who entered on Continuous Service Engagements
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1870ish
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Improved diet recommended, although, in general, this still only provided one proper, poorly cooked meal a day
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1870ish
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Improved career structure introduced with a view to providing something to strive for.
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1870
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Continuous Service Engagement updated
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1871
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Flogging suspended in peacetime (although it is interesting to note that in the early 1900s the memoirs of Boy Seamen and Midshipmen at this time still make reference to something that cannot be considered any different
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1873
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Eyesight test introduced for officers and ratings
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1873
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Official Number replaced the Continuous Service Number.
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1873
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Agnes Weston's Royal Sailor's Rest built at Devonport and Portsmouth (these were temperance establishments as opposed to the Home Club which allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages) Devonport Branch closed its doors March 2001 through lack of use.
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Jan 1875
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Mulcts (fine) of pay increased from 1 day's pay for 24 hours absence to 1 day's pay for every 3 hours absence or part thereof (desertion at this time was running at 12,000 per annum)
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Jan 1875
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10A punishment introduced i.e. grog stopped, leave stopped, dog watches and spare time spent holystoneing and blacking down rigging and any other dirty work etc, although on some ships there is reference to simply watch the paint work.
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1878 |
Torpedo-Lieutenants appear in the Navy List | |
1879
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The practical abolition of flogging
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1881 |
Wardroom rum rationed ceased, except for warrant officers. | |
1881
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Naval Allotments introduced: some sailors allotted money home to wives and mothers, others to the manager of the Home Club for safe keeping (see above) whilst others perhaps to the National Savings Bank
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W |
1884
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Newspaper article entitled "The Truth About the Navy" in addition to the Russinan War scare started to ring warning bells regarding the Navy's ability to fulfill its role and brought about public pressure to improve the finances of the Navy and improve the building and training program.
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1884
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Female nurses introduced into Naval Hospitals at Haslar and Plymouth
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1885
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Correspondents from the National newspapers view Home Fleet annual manoeuvres
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C |
1890
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Salute with the left or right hand introduced
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W |
1890
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Leave became a right and not a privilege for ratings of good character.
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W |
1890
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Sail as a means of propulsion had disappeared, except in some training vessels and keeping the men fit becomes a problem!
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W |
1893
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Men allocated to home port, ie Chatham, Portsmouth or Devonport, but allowed to make a choice dependent on where they lived, but this created many anomalies with men from the North West being allocated to Devonport.
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1893
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Drafting offices set-up in Port Divisions in the "home ports" of Chatham, Portsmouth and Devonport
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1894
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The procedure for issuing official
numbers was changed again and prefixes were introduced which gave an indication
as to the branch to which a rating may belong.
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1900
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Physical Training becomes a specialist qualification: training of Physical Training Instructors (PTI) takes place at HMS EXCELLENT.
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1901/2
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Defence estimates included an element for the first time to build 5 submarines.
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1903
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A new engagement called the Short Service engagement or "5 and 7" and "7 and 5" engagement brought about a new series of official numbers prefixed SS
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1906 |
Dental Surgeons introduced at Naval Hospitals | |
1906
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Ration Allowance introduced for personnel not in receipt of service provisions
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1908
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Telegraphist Branch formed attached to HMS VERNON - the torpedo party looked after the sets, whilst signalmen actually operated the sets. By 1910 they were working in cordination with the Signal School at Portsmouth.
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July 1914
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Royal Naval Air Service formed.
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1914
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Regulating Petty Officers (RPO) (nickname Crusher) took over from Ship's Police who were either Royal Marines on large ships or unqualified naval personnel who invariably couldn't make the grade in their own branch and were the source of much "graft" and discontent on the lower deck. The RPO worked under the Master at Arms (MAA)
(Nickname Jaunty). On small ships of destroyer size and below
it was usually the Coxswain who was responsible for discipline.
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c 1905
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Bakeries and refrigerators recommended
along with improved training for cooks. Canteen arrangements
reviewed with a view to removing some of the "fiddles" and reducing prices.
General messing, borrowed from the US Navy, reviewed and introduced with
a view to improving the quality of food and morale
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W |
c 1905
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Mechanician rate introduced to give
Leading Stokers an improved advancement route
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W |
1917
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WRNS Established for first time.
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1917
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Ratings received an extra 2d. a day.
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1917
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Kit Upkeep Allowance introduced. Previously men were responsible for maintaining their own kit, although some grades (eg Boys) had received a free uniform on joining the RN.
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1918 |
Rum ration ceased for Warrant Officers | |
1 April 1918
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RN Air Service transferred to Royal
Air Force
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1919
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ABs' daily pay was increased from 1s. 8d. to 4s.
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1919
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WRNS service discontinued see 1938
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1920
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Marriage Allowance introduced for ratings over 25
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1922
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NAAFI took over from Naval Canteen Service
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1925
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Pay cuts for new entrants - to receive 25% less than those serving eg an ABs pay was reduced to 3 shillings a day.
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1926
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Master at Arms lost responsibility for day to day routine which became the responsibility of the Executive Officer's Department (usually a Chief GI, Coxswain or other Seaman CPO became responsible)
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1937
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RN regained control of the Fleet Air Arm from the RAF (see 1918)
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1938
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WRNS reintroduced
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1938 |
Officers over 30 granted Marriage Allowance | |
1946/7
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Electrical Branch formed from the old Anti Submarine Branch which in turn became the Torpedo and Anti-Submarine (TAS) Branch
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1948
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Flogging removed from the list of punishments, although suspended in 1879
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1954
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The Navy News founded ie the navy had its own newspaper for the first time.
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1955
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First Batch of Married Quarters completed?
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1955
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Uniform Regulations overhauled
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1956
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The Naval Drafting Authority (NDA)
was set up at Lythe Hill House, Haslemere, Surrey. Thus the drafting
(movement of ratings) was centralised and the old Port area drafting authorities
at Chatham, Portsmouth and Devonport were closed along with many of the
loop-holes that were said to exist e.g. barrack stanchions, were closed!
And, it is said that naval manpower could be utilised much more efficiently
and early attempts were made to computerise drafting and advancement, although
this created a number of amusing incidents in the early days before all
the records had been properly validated!
Lee-on-Solent continued to be responsible
for Fleet Air Arm drafting
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1961
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Last National Serviceman left the RN
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1970
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The NDA (Naval Drafting Authority), an accounting tender to HMS PRESIDENT, moved to a purpose built building at Gosport, Hants and renamed HMS CENTURION who was also became responsible for all Naval Pay and Accounts by 1974.
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1976
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WRNS became subject to the Naval Discipline Act
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1997
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Last locally entered personnel (LEP) leave the navy. | |