WW1 R.N.V.R. cap tally question.

[mannimal]

I have a nice WW1 RNVR cap tally and was wondering what the significance is compared with the regional versions such as RNVR London etc?

I'm guessing that the latter refers to their initial enlistment section but then they revert to the simple RNVR tally when in general service?

[horatio2]

Not all RNVR ratings belonged to an RNVR Division.

[mannimal]

Thanks Horatio I thought I could rely on your expertise.

That however throws up another question as to the 'Division' element. Wasn't it the 'Division' which ended up doing a soldiering job (RND)? If that's the case then the RNVR lads with the straight RNVR tally would be the ones who manned the RNMBR launches and other Naval activities?

[KizmeRD]

Hello Mannimal,

Don't go confusing RNVR Divisions with the Roval Naval Division, despite the similarities in name, they are in fact very different beasts. The RNVR Divisions were pre- and post-war regional training centres for naval reservists. When war was declared, these reservists were mobilized and most (but not all) were formed up into two Naval Brigades which together with a third Royal Marine Brigade formed the early RND and went out to fight in the defence of Antwerp (many of these then getting interned in Holland). The gaps in the ranks in the RND were then supplemented by new arrivals, including a number of army personnel, and were next sent to Gallipoli, thence Salonika, before being recalled to UK and becoming absorbed into the BEF for further service on the Western Front (April 1916). By that time there would have been few of the original pre-war naval reservists still around, the bulk of the new RND now comprising of wartime conscripts and several army units too.

Michael

[mannimal]

Hi Michael.

Thanks for that info as I was getting a bit confused by it all. I had read somewhere that there weren't enough placements on ships for the RNVR recruits so they were used to form the Drake/Howe etc. regiments. It would appear then that the RNVR tally I have would have been used by crew on naval vessels during WW1 such as trawlers, motor launches etc.

The RNR(T) and RNMBR are my particular passion and when researching crew these RNVR seamen cropped up regularly. The RNVR LONDON etc. tallies then relate only to pre and post war training centres as I suspected.

Much obliged! (I think )