How many RNVR and RNR officers in 1914 and in 1918

[corisande]

Having spent some time trying to find the answer to this , I am reverting to the forum for help

 

I can find "On mobilisation in 1914, the RNR consisted of 30,000 officers and men." but little else

 

1. How many RNR men in 1914 were officers

2. How many RNVR officers in 1914

3. How many RNR officers in 1918

4. How many RNVR officers in 1918

 

I have tried and failed with the usual sources, but that is probably because of my lack of skills with naval records

[Felix C]

Navy List for a number of months and years is available at archive.org 

 

maybe the answer is there. https://archive.org/details/nlsnavylists

 

and here

http://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/researchers/research-guides/research-guide-b11-royal-navy-first-world-war

 

 

Edited 16 January , 2018 by Felix C

[seaJane]

2 hours ago, Felix C said:

Navy List for a number of months and years is available at archive.org 

For all the war years thanks to the National Library of Scotland.

[Felix C]

Online as well?

Edited 16 January , 2018 by Felix C

[seaJane]

Archive.org is on-line, yes. The NLS digitisations are there (search "navy list" [year]) and also at http://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/97490295

sJ

[Felix C]

 

Hello Corisande,

 

Did  you find your answer?

[corisande]

I am not too hot on Navy Lists,. I went through them, but was not able to find a table that gave me the information

[Felix C]

From Kerr and Granville's The RNVR book. p.107 In 1914 the RNVR numbered 4200 officers and men. "almost entirety a seaman force." meaning not officers. 

p. 109 In 1918 45000 RNVR ratings. p.113 in I918 5300 officers in the RNVR which does not include 700 officers in the Royal Naval Division. 

 

 

 

 

[corisande]

That is very kind of you. Thank you very much

[Felix C]

Bowen, History of the RNR p.102 has 15330 ORs in the RNR. I guess one could arrive at 2670 officers deducting the former value from the 18000 given by Hurd in vol. 1 of the Merchant Navy p.116. (Hurd writes upwards of 18,000 so over 18M)Do not know where the 30,000 mentioned in the opening post came from. Do see that on the Internet here and there. 

 

Nos. above do not include Trawler Section.

 

Nothing is in the book regarding strength in 1918.

 

and there is more

Newbolt's Naval Operations, Vol. V Appendix  I,  indicates 

6th August 1914:   16,640 RNR, 2,345 RNVR

15th November 1918:   60,598 RNR 50,218 RNVR 

Both Commissioned, Warrant and ORs.

 

So there is a bit of fuzziness with the nos.  

 

Edited 6 March , 2018 by Felix C

[corisande]

Thanks Felix

 

The 30000 is probably an example of "cut and paste".  Probably, because it is difficult to get the info, everyone uses that one, which by now has become "established fact"

 

Certainly the RNR had grown greatly in numbers by 1918. Followed by a slump in civilian ship work post war - hence my interest in that a lot of them joined the Auxiliary Police in Ireland in 1920, presumably because they could not get a job on a civilian ship.

[Felix C]

I needed the info for something I am working on. Good question. decided to research further. 

The 1914 number  floats a bit since RNR and RNVR were not immediately called up in large nos. and then RNVR was due to the ground troops sent to Belgium. Then the creation  of the Auxiliary Patrol and using AMCs for blockade duty instead of reg. warships meant more need for both. 

Edited 5 March , 2018 by Felix C