Themes

Sea service

Article highlights

• Royal Marines afloat

• The move into gunnery

• Royal Marine Artillery

• Royal Marine Light Infantry

The move into gunnery

At the turn of the 20th century a typical battleship would hold a detachment of 103 Royal Marines - 50 RMLI and 53 RMA. Their roles aboard ship were to man armaments, provide guards of honour and act as sentries and wardroom attendants.

The Royal Marines would otherwise share in the ship’s general evolutions and drills. They performed an hour’s arms drill and bayonet practice on the quarterdeck. They were also required to help coal ship, usually in handling the sack barrows.

Invincible class battlecruiser firing main armament. (RMM)

By the advent of the Dreadnought battleships and battlecruisers gun crews from the RMA would also operate one of the main ships’ guns. The RMLI would operate a portion of the secondary armament.

The Royal Marine Band Service also had a role at action stations of operating the Transmitting Stations, a key component of the fire control systems.

To learn more about the Royal Marine Band Service, follow the link to the Naval Life of Royal Marine Bandsman A C Green.