The Royal Navy

This page gathers together resources specific to the Royal Navy, its history and its associated branches.

For more detailed advice on tracing the service records for your ancestors who served in the RN, please see our FTF Guide: Military Research.

Vikings, Romans and Norman invaders arrived by sea and settled in the country. Although each ruler had fleets of vessels, some more successful than others in repelling these invaders, it was not until Henry VIII created his Navy Royal, which by his death in 1547 numbered 58 vessels, that it was centrally organised. In 1546 a "Council of the Marine" which later became the "Navy Board" was established.

By 1660 when Charles II came to the throne, the fleet numbered 154 ships and became a permanent professional fighting force - The Royal Navy.

By 1805, there were almost 950 vessels and between 12,000 to 20,000 seamen were needed even in peacetime. At the height of the Napoleonic Wars 150,000 seaman were needed which resulted in the infamous Press Gangs.

The Royal Navy also carried out more peaceful tasks such as scientific and geographical surveying. Captain James Cook, among others, undertook long voyages which became longer as the health on board ships improved. Civilian scientists and artists would also be taken on these expeditions.

As well as the surface fleet and also part of the Naval Service, there are the Submarine Service which dates from 1901 and the Fleet Air Arm which was established in 1914.

The Royal Navy officially began to employ women as carers of servicemen, especially as nurses in 1883 although women would have been on board ship unofficially before this. The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was established in 1920.

The Royal Marines are the Royal Navy's amphibious infantry. In 1664 1200 soldiers were recruited for service in the Fleet. They were not only soldiers but also seamen.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian manned organisation owned and tasked by the Ministry of Defence. It exists to support the Royal Navy by supplying food, fuel and other stores allowing them to stay at sea for longer. It came into being in 1905.

Research guides are available from the National Archives ~ Royal Navy and Auxiliary Services.

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Royal Navy ~ General Information

• TNA Navy Research
• Naval Research

• The Seaman's Grammar and Dictionary, 1691
• Lever's 1908 Dictionary of Sea Terms
• Kings Regulations & Admiralty Instructions - 1913
• Naval Operations During the Period 1650-1850
• Life in the Royal Navy in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Century
• The Age of Nelson
• Late 18th, 19th and early 20th Century Naval and Naval Social History
• William Bligh and HMAV (HMS) Bounty
• Naval Biographical Database: People, Places, Ships, Organisations and Events associated with the Royal Navy since 1660
• Index of 19th Century Naval Vessels
• The World's Navy Ships From The Nineteenth Century to the Present Day
• Pre-Dreadnought Battleships
• Naval Officers 1849
• Ships in Port - 1881 Census
• Royal Navy Ships - 1901 Census
• The Ships and Their Fate
• Royal Navy Medical officers' journals
• The Battle of Jutland Casualty Database

• Modern Day Royal Navy
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
• The Mariner's Mailing List - Main Bases, Training Schools and RN Air Stations
• Main Bases, Training Schools and RN Air Stations
• Royal Naval Museum

• FTF Guide: World War One
• FTF Guide: World War Two

• Naval History First and Second World Wars, Campaign Summaries and More.
• The U-Boat War
• The Battle of Otranto Straits 15th May 1917
• The Sinking Of The Troopship Lancastria
• H.M.S. Ajax
• The H.M.S. Hood Association
• Fleet Air Arm Archives

Articles from Family Tree Forum's Online Magazine:

• Norman's Story
• The Torpedo That Struck
• Accidental explosion
• Stubborn by name, stubborn by nature
• Chatham Dockyard
• Walter did well in a Naval career
• Served at Trafalgar

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War Memorials

• FTF Guide: War Memorials
  

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Prisoners of War

• FTF Guide: Military History ~ Prisoners of War and Internees

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Uniforms and Medals

• The National Maritime Museum: Naval Uniforms and Accessories
• Royal Navy Uniforms
• Uniforms of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines
• FTF Guide: Military History ~ Medals, Badges and Decorations

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Service Records

• FTF Guide: Military Research ~ Royal Navy

Before 1972, all RN personnel were given their service record when they discharged. For pension purposes the RN retained pay details. Therefore the only information held on RN personnel who served prior to 1972 are their Service details (number, rank, name etc) and a list of dates and ships/shore bases. A Subject Access Requests (SAR) form needs to be completed in order to access records.

Royal Navy Contact Address Details

The following address should be used for all Royal Navy and Royal Marine enquiries:

• Veterans UK

N.B. HMS Pembroke is a shore base not a ship. It was Chatham Naval Barracks and also home of the Coast guard Service. It is now part of the University of Greenwich.

Royal Navy Records can be applied for using the following contact address details.

Officers aged 60 or under:Officers born before 1914 and Ratings enlisted before 1924:

• The National Archives

Ratings enlisted after 1924:

• Obtaining Royal Navy Service Records & Medals
• Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Contacts
• Naval Service Records for the First World War

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World War 2 Crewlists

• Force Z-Survivors Association (POWRSA)

• HMS Prince of Wales
• HMS Repulse
• HMS Electra
• HMS Express
• HMS Tenedos
• HMAS Vampire
• SS Automedon
• HMS Cornwall
• HMS Dorsetshire
• HMS Encounter
• HMS Jupiter
• HMS Rapid
• HMS Saumarez
• HMS Stronghold
• HMS Thanet
• HMS Thracian
• HMS Peterel
• HMS Li-Wo
• HMS Dragonfly
• HMS Grasshopper
• HMS Hollyhock
• HMS Paladin
• HMS Porpoise
• HMS Quilliam
• HMS Stonehenge
• HMS Stratagem
• HMS Ulster
• HMS Verulam
• HMS Virago
• HMS Volage
• HM Tug Yin Ping

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