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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Rating of "Able Seaman"


nhclark

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I have a man who, starting in 1918, progressed up through the Ratings in the usual progression - Boy 2, Boy 1, Ordinary Seaman, and then Able Seaman, the rating that he reached on 13th January 1921 and maintained thereafter until his record stops. In 1923 the notation (1) appears alongside the rating of A.B. and then in 1926 this changes to (2). What might this notation mean? Were these "sub-ratings" or "grades" of A.B.?

Noel

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Noel

There were never sub-classifications of Able Seaman.

I suspect the 1 denotes the awarding of his first Good Conduct Badge [worn as a stripe] for 3 years unblemished [or undetected] Service and the 2 for his second.

A 3 badge AB is an indication that the sailor is 'happy' not to progress to Leading Seaman where he might have to shoulder some responsibilities.

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Story goes that a 3 Badge AB was travelling home on leave with a Petty Officer of tghe same vintage. An old lady sat opposite and was most interested in the Navy Men. She asked the PO what the crossed anchors meant, and was pleased to learn that it signified his married state. The Stripes ?. One for each child.

After a soul chilling sneer at the AB, the Lady found a seat elsewhere>

post-25515-1190814255.jpg

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Charles, Large numbers of RND Able Seamen were advanced to Able Seaman (Higher Grade) (so recorded on their record cards). Was this just an RND 'convenience' to give the RND a rating equivalent to Lance Corporal or does it tie in with your explanation. Its has to be said that the 3 year rule does not seem to hold good for these men. I have never seen a rule laid down for AB (HG).

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H2,

The Higher grade was a rank in the RNVR of the RND for special duties, it doesn't stipulate equivilent to L/Cpl but to me that would fit the bill.

From the LG

11 10 1916

Pay and Allowances of Special Ratings in the Royal Naval Division.

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 6th day of November, 1916.

Present, The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council.

Whereas there was this day read at the Board a Memorial from the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, dated the 26th day of October, 1916, in the words following, viz.:-

Whereas by Section 3 of the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act, 1865, it is enacted, inter alia, that all pay, pensions, or other allowances in the nature thereof, payable in respect of services in Your Majesty's Naval Or Marine force to a person being or having been an Officer, Seaman, or Marine therein, shall be paid in such manner, and subject to such restrictions, conditions, and provisions as are from time to time directed by Order in Council:

And whereas we are of opinion that pay and allowances at special rates should be paid to certain classes of men, and to men performing special duties, in the Royal Naval Division

We beg leave humbly to recommend that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased, by Your Order in Council, to sanction payment to such men of pay and allowances set forth in the accompanying Schedule, with retrospective effect to cover payments already made.

The Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury have signified their concurrence in the several items covered by this proposal.

Leading Seamen, Higher Grade, in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Battalions of the Royal Naval Division.

To receive, in addition. to their substantive pay, an allowance of 4d. a day.

Able Seamen, Higher Grade, in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Battalions of the Royal Naval Division.

To receive, in addition to their substantive pay, an allowance of 3d. a day.

Regards Charles

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Thanks very much to all.

The pay rises of (1) 3d. per day and (2) 6d. per day do correspond to 3 years and 6 years respectively after his attainment of the age of 18, which occurred early in 1920.

His name was Edward Leonard Charles Watsham. He joined the Navy before his 18th birthday, and remained in the service up to at least 1929 when his "record was transferred to card." He received a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (which I have, along with his BWM for service on HMS Caradoc in the Black Sea during 1919 and the Russian Civil War - unfortunately his VM is not with the other two).

So I presume he stayed in the Navy until at least 1935. I've tried to obtain just an outline of his service after 1929 - final rating and last ship was all I pleaded for, but to no avail, because I am not recognised as his next-of-kin. He never married, and neither did his siblings, and there is no-one alive today, and never will be, recognised as being a relative close enough to obtain these details. I have to say how absurd and petty I find these sorts of restrictions on a genuine family historian.

C'est la vie.

Once again, thank you to all who read my questions and provide answers. I much appreciate everyone's kindness.

Noel

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  • 11 years later...

Hello,

I have two questions that I have tried to get to the bottom of, but could not deduce after trawling through a few searches:

  1. What would have been the base pay rates for each Royal Navy rating as at the outbreak of war? 
  2. I keep coming across people using the term "able bodied sailor" but have never come across any formal use of this term in lieu of "able seaman". Why is it in use? Ugh!

 

 

Thanks,

Keith

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Many thanks for the succinct and cordial answers. I have yet to see official correspondence that uses the term "Able Bodied Seaman", and have never seen anything like "Ordinary Bodied Seaman" or "Leading Bodied Seaman".

I would have thought that the only "Not Able Bodied" sailor would be the cook on the ship, during the Napoleonic Wars. Likewise, if a sailor were to be "disabled", then medically discharged, this would result in a Greenwich Pension and its successors.

When the RANBT were formed from naval personnel for service on land, their commander was clear that the rank was to be "Able Seaman Driver." I have seen this expanded out to the incorrect acronym of "Able Bodied Driver" on some sites on the internet, which reminds me of the blue badge parking scheme in the UK, albeit in the inverse sense.

Thanks, Keith

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