Excerpts from Queen’s and King’s Regulations in relation to Ratings barred from Engagements of Continuous Service

 

Gradually the list of those barred from engagements of continuous service reduced. In 1879, according to ‘Q.R.s’ the list stood at:-

.

Writers 1st, 2nd and 3rd Classes (old system)

Ship’s Cook (old system)

Chief Bandmaster

Bandmaster

Head Krooman, in rated ships

Tindal

Musician

 

 

Ships rated 1st and 2nd class

Admiral’s Steward

Admiral’s Cook

Admiral’s Domestic

Captain’s Steward

Captain’s Cook

Wardroom Steward

Wardroom Cook

}
}
}
}
}
}... First Class Domestics
}
}
}
}
}

 

 

Ships rated variously below 2nd class

 Baker                   

Captain’s Steward

Wardroom Steward

Wardroom Cook   

Gunroom Steward

Gunroom Cook

Captain’s Servant

Commander’s Servant

Secretary’s Servant

Engineer’s Servant

Engineer’s Cook

Warrant Officer’s Cook  

}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}... Second Class Domestics
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}

 

 

Bandsman

Bandsman 2nd class

 

Tailor

Shoemaker

Butcher

Lamptrimmer

Second Head Krooman

 

 

Assistant Baker

Captain’s Cook’s Assist.

Wardroom Servant

Wardroom Cook’s Assist.

Wardroom Officer’s Assist

Gunroom Servant

Warrant Officer’s Servant

 

}
}
}
}
}
}... Third Class Domestics
}
}
}
}
}
}

 

Barber

Krooman

Seedie

 

 

 

 

Tracing through Appendix VI of 1893’s ‘Q.R.s’ shows the following still not on continuous service:-

Chief Writer (NS); Ship’s Steward for General Mess; Ship’s Cook (OS); Chief Cook for General Mess (OS); Chief Bandmaster (some); Bandmaster (some); Tindal or Head Man of Seedies; Band Corporal (some); First Class Domestic; General Messmen; Captain’s and Cabin Cook; Baker (2nd Class Domestic); Bandsman; Tailor; Shoemaker; Butcher; Lamptrimmer; Second Head Krooman; Second Tindal or Second Head Man of Seedies; Assistant Baker; Third Class Domestic; Cook’s Mate (OS); Assistant Butcher; Kroomen

 

Even by the Second World War there remained a sizeable number of ratings on non-continuous service. King’s Regulations of 1943 show the following:- 

 

‘Officers’ Steward, Officers’ Cook and Cook (O):-

CPO Steward, CPO Cook (O), Offrs’ Ch Cook (OS), PO Steward, PO Cook (O), Offrs’ Cook 1st Cl (OS), Leading Steward, Leading Cook (O), Officers Cook 2nd Class (OS), Steward, Cook (O), Offrs’ cook 3rd class (OS), Assistant Steward, Assistant Cook (O) and Offr’s Cook 4th Class (OS)

 

Chief Bandmaster (OS), Bandmaster (OS), Band Corporal (OS), Ship’s Musician (OS) and Bandsman (OS)

 

Seaman Rigger (AB)(YS)

 

Chief Engineman (PS) and Engineman (PS)

Second Hand (PS)

 

Royal Marines (of various sorts) ...

 

Africans, Asiatics, &c.

Somalis:-

Head Tindal, Tindal (Battleships and Cruisers), Tindal (other vessels), Second Tindal and Somali

 

Stoker Somalis:-

 

Stoker Tindal (Battleships and Cruisers), Stoker Tindal (other vessels), Second Stoker Tindal and Stoker Somali’

 

This continued post 1945, mostly applied to locally employed ratings (generally referred to as L.E.P.s in the 1970s and 1980s when I was in the Service) on stations throughout the disappearing Empire. Interestingly, the concept of non-continuous service has not yet been given up by the R.N. The most recent copies of Q.R.s show that while there is space allocated for this, at this time there are no current regulations.

 

 

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