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Re: RN Crew lists
Posted by:
Rob Hoole
()
Date: January 30, 2008 11:20AM
Gentlemen,
The only comprehensive crew lists for RN ships are likely to appear in unofficial 'Commissioning Books' (produced by ships when they first commissioned after build or were re-commissioned after a long refit) and 'Commission Books' describing particular ships' commissions (normally two and a half year periods between refits and crew turnovers). Sometimes, books were produced (and still are) to cover shorter periods, e.g. 9-month deployments to the West Indies or to the Gulf, or for Round the World deployments. However, information about individual ships and personnel is often available online from the National Archives (Public Records Office) at Kew. They charge £3.50 per document downloaded. Use search facility at [www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]) or see [www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]. More historical sources, including entire collections of the Navy List (listing all RN ships and establishments and showing where all RN, RNR, RNVR and RM officers served throughout their careers), are available from the Naval Historical Branch and the RN Museum Library, both now located in Portsmouth Naval Base. See [www.royal-navy.mod.uk] for contact details.
In the old days of 'Block Drafting', whole ship's companies served together throughout an entire commission except for those who became medically unfit or otherwise unsuitable, those despatched for training courses elsewhere and those advanced (promoted) who no longer had a billet (position) to fill. When most of our foreign station naval bases/dockyards were closing down in the late 1960s and ships were no longer stationed abroad for entire commissions (or indeed throughout their lives), long refits were replaced by shorter maintenance periods and leaner manning was introduced. A vastly shrunken Navy meant that a more flexible system was required, especially as ships were now operational for much longer than two and a half years between major refits. Ratings were no longer restricted to particular home station manpower pools (based at Chatham, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Rosyth) and their associated ships but became available for drafting to any ship, anywhere, any time. 'Block Drafting' was replaced with 'Trickle Drafting' whereby crew members were relieved incrementally. This caused far less disruption to ships' routines and their operational capability, especially as there was no longer the need for mass OJT (on job training). It also meant that individuals' needs (Service and domestic) could be accommodated more easily.
(Dave - there was never any truth in your mischievous allegation that men were moved around to prevent mutinies being orchestrated. Far from it. When you have a closely-knit worked-up and effective team, you are loath to part with any of it.)
To make tracing people even more difficult, the Data Protection Act prevents the MoD from divulging any contact details for those who have served/are in receipt of Service pensions. However, information about ontaining Service records of RN personnel is available via this page of the Veterans UK website: [www.veterans-uk.info].
I hope this has been of some help.
Best wishes,
Rob Hoole
[mcdoa.org.uk]
The only comprehensive crew lists for RN ships are likely to appear in unofficial 'Commissioning Books' (produced by ships when they first commissioned after build or were re-commissioned after a long refit) and 'Commission Books' describing particular ships' commissions (normally two and a half year periods between refits and crew turnovers). Sometimes, books were produced (and still are) to cover shorter periods, e.g. 9-month deployments to the West Indies or to the Gulf, or for Round the World deployments. However, information about individual ships and personnel is often available online from the National Archives (Public Records Office) at Kew. They charge £3.50 per document downloaded. Use search facility at [www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]) or see [www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]. More historical sources, including entire collections of the Navy List (listing all RN ships and establishments and showing where all RN, RNR, RNVR and RM officers served throughout their careers), are available from the Naval Historical Branch and the RN Museum Library, both now located in Portsmouth Naval Base. See [www.royal-navy.mod.uk] for contact details.
In the old days of 'Block Drafting', whole ship's companies served together throughout an entire commission except for those who became medically unfit or otherwise unsuitable, those despatched for training courses elsewhere and those advanced (promoted) who no longer had a billet (position) to fill. When most of our foreign station naval bases/dockyards were closing down in the late 1960s and ships were no longer stationed abroad for entire commissions (or indeed throughout their lives), long refits were replaced by shorter maintenance periods and leaner manning was introduced. A vastly shrunken Navy meant that a more flexible system was required, especially as ships were now operational for much longer than two and a half years between major refits. Ratings were no longer restricted to particular home station manpower pools (based at Chatham, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Rosyth) and their associated ships but became available for drafting to any ship, anywhere, any time. 'Block Drafting' was replaced with 'Trickle Drafting' whereby crew members were relieved incrementally. This caused far less disruption to ships' routines and their operational capability, especially as there was no longer the need for mass OJT (on job training). It also meant that individuals' needs (Service and domestic) could be accommodated more easily.
(Dave - there was never any truth in your mischievous allegation that men were moved around to prevent mutinies being orchestrated. Far from it. When you have a closely-knit worked-up and effective team, you are loath to part with any of it.)
To make tracing people even more difficult, the Data Protection Act prevents the MoD from divulging any contact details for those who have served/are in receipt of Service pensions. However, information about ontaining Service records of RN personnel is available via this page of the Veterans UK website: [www.veterans-uk.info].
I hope this has been of some help.
Best wishes,
Rob Hoole
[mcdoa.org.uk]
