Royal Naval Reserve
History
In 1859 the Royal Naval Volunteers were established by act of Parliament. The preamble to the legislation explained:
Whereas it is expedient that there should be a reserve volunteer force of seamen for service in Her Majesty's fleet in time of emergency, and that the seamen composing such force should be duly entered and trained.
The maximum number of men was set at 30,000, and [1]
By the Officers of Royal Naval Reserve Act, 1863, masters, mates and engineers in the merchant service were permitted "to serve as officers of reserve to the Royal Navy."[2]
To ameliorate the shortage of watch officers, in 1895 provision was made for one hundred officers of the Mercantile Marine to enter the Royal Navy on a Supplementary List of Lieutenants and Sub-Lieutenants.[3] In 1898 provision was made for fifty more officers of the Mercantile Marine to join the Supplementary List.[4] In 1913 another one hundred officers were provided for on the Supplementary List.[5] The only officer whose career prospered under this scheme appears to have been Guy Gaunt, who reached the rank of Rear-Admiral before being retired in 1918.
Footnotes
- ↑ "An Act for the Establishment of a Reserve Force of Seamen, and for the Government of the same." 22 & 23 Victoria, c. 40.
- ↑ An Act to establish Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve." 26 & 27 Victoria, c. 69.
- ↑ Order-in-Council of 29 July, 1895.
- ↑ Order-in-Council of 9 August, 1898.
- ↑ Order-in-Council of 7 March, 1913.
Bibliography
