Major DAVIESasked the Secretary to the Admiralty if he can state the procedure for the granting of commissions in His 1881W Majesty's Navy; whether commissions are granted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve to naval ratings; and, if so, in what branches of the Service?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe procedure for obtaining permanent commissions in the Royal Navy remains substantially the same as in time of peace, candidates being entered and trained as cadets at the Royal Naval Colleges, or as special entry cadets at a later stage (seventeen and a half to eighteen and a half), the latter undergoing a shorter period of training before going to sea as midshipmen. Similarly, the Accountant Branch is recruited from assistant clerks entered by competitive examination in the usual way.
Promotion from the lower deck, both by means of the "Mate" scheme, and through warrant and commissioned warrant rank, has been considerably extended to meet war requirements. The promotions made in these two categories since 1912 are as follows:
Mates 328 Royal Marine Gunners 12 Mates (E.) 136 476 Lieutenants and Shipwright Lieutenants 197 Engineer-Lieutenants 125 Paymasters (from Commissioned Writer and Commissioned Victualling Officer) 9 Schoolmaster-Lieutenants 3 Lieutenants (special promotions) 50 384 Total 860 In the case of temporary engine-room ratings, provision has been made for advancement to warrant and commissioned rank on lines generally similar those applicable to permanent ratings, and thirty promotions to temporary acting artificer-engineer. Royal Navy (period of hostilities) have been made.
Junior officers of the Royal Naval Reserve are eligible for transfer to the Royal. Navy under certain conditions if strongly recommended by their commanding officers; Royal Naval Reserve officers are also eligible for transfer for special war services
Temporary commissions as surgeons or as engineer officers are granted to candidates having the requisite medical or engineering qualifications and training.
1882WRoyal Naval Reserve officers for deck and engineering duties must have mercantile marine qualifications; assistant paymasters, Royal Naval Reserve, must have had accounting or similar experience, and only candidates in the lowest medical category or rejected for military service are accepted.
The procedure of obtaining commissions in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve varies according to the branch of the Service which the candidate wishes to enter.
In the case of the Royal Naval Division, commissions are only granted to candidates who have served in a Cadet Training Battalion.
For Naval Service generally, either previous sea experience or technical, professional, or scientific qualifications are necessary. A few midshipmen, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who need not have previous sea experience, are, however, entered and trained for fire control duties.
Assistant paymasters, Royal Volunteer Naval Reserve, are entered for clerical and coding duties, but they must be in the lowest medical category or have been rejected for military service. For duty on shore these officers are being replaced as far as possible by women.
With regard to the second part of the question, naval ratings serving for the period of the War arc eligible for appointments, or commissions, as midshipmen, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, temporary sub-lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and temporary assistant paymaster, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, under conditions which have been promulgated to the Fleet They must be strongly recommended by their commanding officers, and such recommendations are considered by the Admiralty on their merits and according to the requirements of the Service.