GENUKI: Marine and Naval Ratings Service Numbers

Marine and Naval Ratings Service Numbers

Royal Navy

The numbers of ratings consisted of a Prefix indicating their Port Division (responsible for their training, promotion and manning of ships), a forward slash, a Main Letter denoting their trade, and a 4-6 figure number. An additional letter "X" after the main letter indicates that the rating was engaged after the the new pay code of the early 1930s was introduced.

(W) - World War 2 only

Prefix Letters
Home Port Divisions	C	Chatham
	D	Devonport
	P	Portsmouth
	LT	Lowestoft (W)
	R	Rosyth (W)
Overseas Port Divisions	MALTA	Malta
	GOA	Goa
	A	Alexandria (W)
Fleet Air Arm	FAA	(W)
Fleet Air Arm	L	Lee-on-Solent

Main Letters
Long Service (12 years plus optional 10 years to qualify for pension)	J	Seamen and Communications
	K	Stokers and Mechanicians
	L	Officers' Stewards, some Officers' Cooks
	M	Others -Artificers, Electrical, Supply etc
	N	NAAFI staff (W)
	F	Fleet Air Arm
Short Service (7 years plus 5 years on Reserve)	SS	Seamen and Communications
	SK	Stokers
	SM	Miscellaneous
	SF	Fleet Air Arm

Examples

C/JX - Long service seaman from Chatham Port Division
D/SKX - Short service stoker from the Devonport Port Division
P/M - Long service, miscellaneous rating from the Portsmouth Port Division, who engaged before the new pay code into use.

Royal Marines

Some Royal Marine numbers had prefix letters as shown below (e.g. PO/1327) and sometimes there was a letter after the number indicating their trade .

(W) - World War 2 only

CH	Chatham Group
PLY	Plymouth Group
PO	Portsmouth Group
EX	Exton (W)
RMB	Royal Marine Bands

Royal Marine Police guarding dock yards and depots had group prefixes as shown above with main letters "RMP" (eg. PO/RMP12345).

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[Last updated: 8 Apr 2004 - Brian Randell]