Chapter V: Officers and Men of the British Navy

From the current Navy Estimates the following particulars are taken of the number of officers and men voted in 1914-15 for the naval service. First the strength of the Reserves is given, then the number of active service ratings and lastly the aggregate mobilised for war:

ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE

(Consisting of Merchant Seamen, Yachtsmen, etc.)

HOME FORCE--GENERAL SERVICE

Numbers Numbers
Voted borne on
1914- 1st Jan.,
1915. 1914.
OFFICERS.
Executive Officers 1,340 }
Com. Engr. Officers 140 } 1,790
Accountant Officers 120 }
Warrant Engineers 190 }

MEN.
Leading Seamen 220 }
Seamen 10,780 }
Wireless Tel. Operators 120 } 17,280
Engine Rm. Art. 560 }
Ldg. Strs. 110 }
Stokers 5,490 }

HOME FORCE--TRAWLER SECTION

Officers 142
Men 1,136

COLONIAL BRANCHES

NEWFOUNDLAND:
Men 600
MALTA:
Men 400
AUSTRALASIA:
Officers --
Men --
---- 21,348 19,467

ROYAL FLEET RESERVE

(Consisting of Naval Seamen and others who have served in the Fleet for five years or more)

MEN

Class A.--Pensioners.
Seamen Class 3,800 }
Stoker Class 2,500 }
Police rat. 187 } 8,327
Royal Marines 1,840 }

Class B.--Non-Pensioners.
Seamen Class 9,150 }
Stoker Class 6,500 }
Police rat. 10 } 18,710
Royal Marines 3,050 }

Immediate Class.--Non-Pensioners.
Seamen Class 1,600 }
Stoker Class 1,870 } 4,070
Royal Marines 600 }
------ 31,107 27,734

ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEERS

Officers and Men (efficients) [6]4,500
----- 4,500 4,605

PENSIONERS

Seamen 6,376
Royal Marines 1,734
----- 8,110 8,740
------ ------
Total 65,065 60,546
------------------------------
Total, Active Service Ratings 151,000 144,871
Total Reserves 65,065 60,546
------- -------
Grand total [7]216,065 205,417

[6] Includes 300 South African Division.

[7] 1,562 Ranks and Ratings on the Active List. Royal Fleet Reserve
Men and Pensioners have been lent for service under Colonial and
Foreign Governments.

When war was declared there was no dearth of officers and men for the British Fleet. The presentation of a Supplementary Estimate to Parliament by the Admiralty, after the declaration of hostilities, gave rise to a misunderstanding. This action was a mere formality in order to keep the right side of Treasury procedure, and it did not mean that 67,000 additional officers and men were going to be raised. What happened was that Reservists to the number of about 60,000 were called up and they were forthwith transferred to Vote A., which fixes the number of active service officers and ratings and provides pay for them.

Whereas Parliament provided in the spring of 1914 for an active personnel of 151,000 with 60,000 Reservists, the two totals had to be added together so as to obtain Parliamentary sanction for full pay being provided for 211,000. In addition the new vote left room for a slight actual expansion--consisting of a number of retired officers and a quota of artisan and other skilled ratings to be forthwith raised.

Thus we get an aggregate of 218,000 officers and men for service ashore and afloat. This total includes cadets and boys under training, and approximately 200,000, it may be assumed, were available for service in the Home Fleets and the squadrons in distant seas. It is an axiom that in peace we have more ships than we can man, while in war we shall have a good surplus of men after manning all the ships. When passing from a peace to a war footing, Royal Fleet reservists--well-trained men with from five to seven years’ service--and others became available and the Fleet was fully mobilised, having no inconsiderable surplus to make good the casualties of battle.