Since its formation in 1903, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve has grown in importance as well as in numbers. A volunteer organization, with divisions in many parts of Great Britain, the R.N.V.R. offers to the sea loving man who lives ashore an opportunity to train for naval service.
(From Shipping Wonders
of the World, Part 21, published by Amalgamated Press June 30th. 1936)
There are many British boys with salt water in their veins who would like nothing
better than to make the sea their profession, but who are forced by circumstances
to pursue their vocations ashore. The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, the "Wavy
Navy," as it was affectionately called during the war of 1914 - 18, supplies
them with just what they want; the opportunity of seriously serving the sea
in their spare time. The R.N.V.R. has no counterpart in any other maritime country.
A proportion of its officers and ratings are yachtsmen, but the majority have
no opportunities of yachting.
The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was founded in place of the Royal Naval Artillery
Volunteers, which were established in the early 'seventies when there was every
possibility of a naval war with Russia. Men came forward in considerable numbers
for a time, but finally the R.N.A.V. was killed by official neglect. When it
was gone its value was realized. In 1903 the R.N.V.R. was formed to take its
place, beginning with divisions in London, the Clyde and the Mersey. To the
surprise of Admiralty officials, there was an immediate response to the call
by just the right kind of recruit.
At the time that the London Division of the R.N.V.R. was started there was a
large proportion of yachtsmen in the ranks. These men could handle a boat in
any circumstances and were familiar with the approaches to the capital. One
company consisted entirely of Stock Exchange men. The new R.N.V.R. had some
excellent commanding officers and real enthusiasts in the other ranks, so that
when war broke out in 1914 the strength was more than 4,000 officers and men,
and the individual quality extraordinarily high.
In the first months of war the naval service was well manned, but the Army was
under establishment. A large proportion of the R.N.V.R. was incorporated into
the Royal Naval Division for service ashore. Then the majority of the first
contingent was sacrificed in an attempt to save Antwerp. Brigaded with the Royal
Marines, these citizen sailors made a great name for themselves ashore in the
Dardanelles and on the Western Front. During the war the numbers of the R.N.V.R.
increased to about 32,000 ratings, apart from officers.
Efficient men found work in the big ships of the Grand Fleet. One man was selected
to be Chief Yeoman of Signals in the Fleet Flagship, a wonderful compliment
to an amateur in a job that is regarded as one of the most highly specialized
in the Navy. A large number went into merchant ships as armed guards, and the
various blockading units found infinite use for ratings in boarding parties.
The vessels of the Auxiliary Patrol were manned mainly by the R.N.V.R. A number
of the men even found themselves in the trawlers and drifters which had been
taken over. Armed yachts and motor launches also relied largely on the R.N.V.R.
for their men. Many of the R.N.V.R. officers came from overseas, notably from
New Zealand, to act as captains and junior officers of the innumerable motor
launches. Inside the Admiralty and at the outports the volunteer officers were
given employment in Intelligence work and in other duties.
The work done by the R.N.V.R. during the war of 1914 - 18 was so valuable and
varied that it made the job of post war reorganization particularly difficult.
Obviously it was neither necessary nor possible to maintain a permanent Reserve
of sufficient size for all war requirements, yet such a magnificent body of
men could not be allowed to disperse altogether. It was therefore proposed to
retain only sufficient numbers to meet the nation's needs in the event of mobilization.
At the same time machinery was provided for the rapid expansion of the force.
Such social organizations as the R.N.V.R. (Auxiliary Patrol) Club kept a big
proportion of the officers who had served in the war in close touch with one
another, and helped the authorities immensely in their plan. In 1921 the force
was reorganized in the light of war experience. The status of qualified R.N.V.R.
officers was established, especially their right of taking command with regular
naval officers of corresponding rank. These trained R.N.V.R. officers were also
offered the opportunity of qualifying as specialists in various branches.
The London
Division.
Since this reorganization there have been many changes on economical and other
grounds. Although some subdivisions have been closed down, it is hoped only
temporarily, the general principles have been carried on. The force is now divided,
as before, into a number of divisions, which are in the keenest competition
with one another in work and in sport.
The London Division is based in HMS. President, which was built as the
sloop Saxifrage in 1918. She was built at Clydebank and had a displacement
of 1,290 tons. Her length was 262 feet and her breadth 35 feet. Her engines
with an indicated horse power of 2,500, gave the Saxifrage a speed of
17 knots. She had stowage for 260 tons of coal and was armed with two 4in. single
action quick firing guns and one 12 pounder quick firing gun. She served in
the North Atlantic convoys and was dazzle painted. In addition to her armament,
the Saxifrage was equipped with two depth charge throwers. She had a
complement of ninety five.
H.M.S President is
moored off the Thames Embankment, and is used as the nominal ship of all the
officers appointed to the Admiralty, from the First Sea Lord downwards. She
has been partly roofed over and completely changed in appearance since she was
built to fight submarines.
The name President has always been the traditional name of the London training
ship, first of the R.N.R. and then of the R.N.V.R., for well over half a century;
but as one species of the saxifrage is popularly known as London pride, it seems
rather a pity the President could not have kept her old name. London has every
reason to be proud of her civilian sailors.
The Scottish Division was split into two in 1926. The Clyde Division had its
headquarters at Glasgow, and the Greenock Sub Division used the Carrick,
originally a merchant clipper, as a training ship. The East Scottish Division
has H.M.S. Claverhouse at Leith, and H.M.S. Unicorn at Dundee
The Severn Division has H.M.S. Flying Fox at Bristol and the Mersey Division
a has H.M.S. Eaglet in the Liverpool Docks and H.M.S. Irwell,
removed from Manchester, at Birkenhead. The Sussex Division has no port facilities
for a training ship and has to be content with a big drill shed at Hove as headquarters,
with a sub division at Newhaven.
The Tyne Division, which was founded in 1905, has the Satellite at North
Shields, and the former cruiser Calliope, the famous "hurricane
jumper" of Samoan fame, at Newcastle. The Calliope was the only
warship that escaped from Apia Harbour, in Samoa, during a fierce hurricane
in 1889. Every other warship in the harbour was wrecked.
The Ulster Division at Belfast is the youngest of all the divisions. Its formation
was proposed by Sir James Craig (later Viscount Craigavon) in the summer of
1921, when he was the leader of the Ulster Party. Sir James Craig was interested
in naval affairs after having been Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. This
division has H.M.S. Caroline, one of the "C" class cruisers
that did such excellent work in the North Sea during the war of 1914?18.
One of the most carefully planned features of the reorganization was the plan
to make the Service appeal to the inland districts, as well as to the areas
within reach of the various divisional headquarters. For this purpose officers
were graded into List 1 and List 2. List 1 consists of officers who live near
enough to headquarters to attend the ship for their regular evening drills and
to take their place as divisional officers. List 2 comprises those living out
of reach of headquarters, who do extra training to compensate for their absence
from drills and divisions. It includes also most non executive officers, although
a few medical officers and paymasters are on List 1.
The non executive officers form an important branch of the R.N.V.R. This branch
is the Navy's only reserve of medical and dental officers, and numbers nearly
150. The paymaster branch is divided into two, one branch to perform the ordinary
duties of the accountant officer, and the other to specialize in coding, an
art that requires considerable experience. The paymaster and accountant branches
include numerous University graduates, accountants, bankers and insurance men.
Among the executive officers of the R.N.V.R., a large number are willing to
go to great trouble to qualify as specialists in various branches. The courses
of instruction take up a great amount of time and energy, and these executive
officers spend many hours in the various headquarters and training ships.
The gunroom officers of the R.N.V.R. consist of midshipmen and sub lieutenants,
executive and non executive. There is always a long waiting list for admission,
so that many keen youngsters find themselves too old to enter as midshipmen
and have to ship their first stripe. Gunroom officers are always on probation
until they have served in the force for at least one year, as well as having
spent a month at sea. When confirmed they are eligible for a grant of £50
from the Admiralty for the purpose of buying uniform.
The senior ranks range from two stripe lieutenants to captains, one to each
division, and include chaplains. Among the executives there are some former
Royal Naval Reserve officers and some officers retired from the Royal Navy.
Every division has an instructor officer from the regular service, generally
a senior lieutenant commander, who occupies a position analogous to that of
a regular adjutant in a Territorial battalion. Instructor officers normally
hold their appointments for two years, which count as part of their time of
service. Engineer officers were introduced after the war of 1914 - 18, but this
branch has since been suspended. The lower deck ratings are drawn from all classes
of society, but have the common bonds of enthusiasm, pride of corps and love
of the sea. They include the ordinary seaman, A.B., leading and non commissioned
rates in the various branches. They are entered for a period of four years,
with re-engagements in four yearly spells. They are eligible for good service
badges, which are similar to the good conduct badges of the regular Navy, although
different qualifications are necessary.
For promotion to petty officer, high qualifications are required. Genuine enthusiasm
and enterprise are necessary and thus citizen petty officers can challenge comparison
with the petty officers in the regular service. There is also a staff of regular
naval Chief Petty Officers for instructional purposes. This appointment is made
immediately after pensions are taken, and is much sought after in such branches
as the physical training, signal. gunnery or torpedo branches. Warrant rank
is open to the best men in the seamen, signal and telegraphist branches.
The regulations lay down the minimum number of drills and the minimum amount
of training which the rating must put in. In his first year he must attend forty
drills and after that twenty four every year. Each drill consists of one hour's
instruction in squad drill, rifle exercise, musketry, gunnery, torpedo work,
signals, wireless telegraphy, seamanship, field gun work, boat work or physical
training. Every headquarters or drill ship is open on certain evenings in the
week for these drills. Most ratings will put in from sixty to eighty drills
every year and many exceptionally keen men up to two hundred.
The drills are interesting and the headquarters or drill ships have become enjoyable
clubs, so that the men take full advantage of them. In addition to the more
serious work, there are facilities for recreation, such as boxing and swimming.
There are also week end camps for field training and long cruises in boats under
sail. Great attention is paid to boat work in the R.N.V.R., and the London Division
has to its credit a number of rescues of people who have fallen from the Thames
Embankment.
Voluntary Easter Cruise
In addition to the drills at headquarters, naval training is carried out in
the ships of the fleet or in one of the home ports. Normally the obligatory
period of training is fourteen days a year, but qualified ratings are allowed
to volunteer for longer periods up to a maximum of three months. Two ratings
for the Sussex Division were chosen for service in H.M.S. Renown when
that battle cruiser carried T.R.H. the Duke and Duchess of York to Australia
in 1927.
In addition to the regular fortnight, which can be arranged largely to suit
the convenience of the volunteer, the London and Sussex Divisions of the R.N.V.R.
offer a voluntary cruise at Easter for about 100 men.
There are generally about four times as many volunteers for this cruise as there
are vacancies. When the Vice Admiral in command of the Reserve Fleet does his
regular cruise round Scotland various divisions turn out in force to help man
his ship. The R.N.V.R. took part in King George V's Silver Jubilee Review in
1935.
The R.N.V.R. movement has proved such a success in Great Britain that there
are now branches in Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. There are
fifteen headquarters of the Canadian Division of the R.N.V.R. The South African
R.N.V.R. is based on Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London. Nine
bases serve the needs of the Australian Division, and the New Zealand Division
has four. The authorities have also permitted the formation of smaller branches
in Kenya, Hong Kong, Singapore and Colombo. Officers and men of the branches
overseas are just as keen as those at home and are capable of doing the same
excellent work.
In contrast to the practice of the British Army, in which all ranks on active
service, whether Regulars, Militia (Special Reserve) or Territorials, wear undifferentiated
badges of rank, the R.N.V.R. are distinctive.