Royal Navy service numbers

[purley]

I have been processing the Reading Absent Voters list for 1923 and this gives names, addresses and service details.

All the Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel have a number preceded by a prefix - what do these signify?

So far I have found J M Po K 2L L SS DM Ch E Ply

Are the numbers all in one series with varying prefixes or does each prefix signify a separate number series?

John.chapman@purley.eu

[joseph]

John,

This site explains the numbering systems used in the Royal Navy:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...tm&lBack=-1

Ch is Chatham

Ply is Plymouth

Regards Charles

[sadsac]

John, further to Joseph's info in PRO ;

Number prefixes work - for ;

Chatham CH - hence CH/ 123456

Portsmouth P - hence P/ 123456

Plymouth (Devonport) D D/ 123456

And could be CH/J 12345 for Seaman Class - P/K 12345 for Stoker. Etc.

Sadsac

[Willywombat]

I have a man with a Z prefix (joined in 1918). I can't find that listed on the PRO link?

[purley]

John,

This site explains the numbering systems used in the Royal Navy:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...tm&lBack=-1

Ch is Chatham

Ply is Plymouth

Regards Charles

Charles et al

many thanks - the PRO link is most informative

John

[joseph]

Did the man with the Z prefix join the Royal Navy or the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves?

Regards Charles

[per ardua per mare per terram]

For Royal Marines:

Ch for Chatham

Ply for Plymouth

Po for Chatham

The letter prefixes for originating home port did not become part of the Navy's Official Number system until after 1923.

[Willywombat]

Charles,

Sorry for the delay replying - not by the computer! He joined the Volunteer Reserves.

Bob

[per ardua per mare per terram]

He joined the Volunteer Reserves.

His service number would have an additional letter in front to designate what part of the country his RNVR unit was allocated to; this has been left off of the UKNA listings of RND personnel.

Here is the UKNA guide to their numbering:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...?sLeafletID=152

Edited 15 August , 2008 by per ardua per mare per terram

[per ardua per mare per terram]

John,

According to the list referenced above

E is the RNVR prefix for the Birmingham Electrical Volunteers. It can also be used in service numbers for the Royal Naval Reserve (then a completely different organisation).

[Willywombat]

Thanks, Per Ardua..., I know he was in training at Bristol, so am I right in thinking that the Z prefix was simply for RNVR men who joined during the war, with no reference to their trade?

Bob.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

If he was in the Bristol Division his service number should have been BZ followed by the number. It meant that he was serving with a division and could be allocated to general duties (which ended as mostly sea service or the RND); before the early days of the war it would have been just B and then a company designation, but that system was overloaded by the number of recruits.

RNVR numbers are not trade specific, the variation from a divisional number is for particular services. For example there could be the followin M prefixes in the RNVR:

M or MZ Mersey Division

MB Motor Boat Section

MC Mine Clearance Service

[Guest]

My Dad's service number started with DN, what does that mean.  I am no able to find any of his records as of yet so basically starting from scratch.

 

Teresa

[horatio2]

Welcome to the GWF.

There is no such 'DN' prefix or suffix to RN Official Numbers. Could it be 'DA'? It would help give as much detail (name, p.o.b./d.o.b.) as possible to help us trace him.