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Marine and Naval Ratings Service Numbers
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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.
(Note: until the early 1970s Royal Navy ratings' numbers were known as 'Official Numbers' and the term was then changed to 'Service Numbers'. At that time all ratings were given a new number on computerisation of Royal Navy pay and records accounting. This was the first time commissioned officers were given a any number at all.)
(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 | E | Malta |
| GOA | Goa | |
| A | Alexandria (W) | |
| Fleet Air Arm | FAA | (W) |
| 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).