ROYAL MARINE SERVICE RECORDS

Right from the start it was intended that the marines would combine the role of infantry soldier and seaman. Initially, marines and the existence of their regiments depended on the wartime needs. The Royal Marines were soldiers based on Royal Navy ships but they were also deployed on land as an assault force which resulted in some famous actions including the capture of Gibraltar from the Spanish in 1704. In the early period of their existence, there were two periods when they were disbanded: between 1713 and 1739 and between 1745 and 1755. Since then, the Royal Marines have been a continuous establishment.

The early marine regiments were under the control of the Board of Admiralty when afloat, but the Corps of Marines from 1755 was under overall control of the Board. The corps did not form into a regiment but was organised into companies, within three divisions or depots. The corps became the Royal Marines in April 1802.

The three divisions were established at Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth, with a later division established at Woolwich in 1805 which only existed until 1869. Each of the divisions consisted of several numbered infantry companies. Their locations can be ascertained in the Navy List and by looking at the lists of officers in series ADM 192 at The National Archives. Artillery companies were introduced in each division in 1804 and in 1862 these were amalgamated into the Royal Marine Artillery which had its base at Portsmouth. The Royal Marines Depot, Deal was also established in 1862. The infantry companies became the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1855. Both the Royal Marine Artillery and Royal Marine Light Infantry became a single corps called the Royal Marines in 1923.

The Royal Marines Light Infantry wore red uniforms and the Royal Marines Artillery had blue uniforms, but despite this distinction they served alongside each other and for the family historian service records are archived together.

The men of Royal Marines Light Infantry formed the majority of those deployed on a ship. Whilst on board they helped to maintain discipline among the crew, guarded the ship against attack; they also guarded the captain’s cabin and the ship’s munitions stores. They were also deployed as a formal armed escort when disciplinary measures and courts martial were required. Before 1923 when both divisions merged, the Royal Marines Light Infantry were firearm experts whereas the Royal Marine Artillery were gunnery and explosives experts, but in practical terms their roles overlapped, particularly in times of war. The number of Royal Marines on board a Royal Navy ship depended on the size of the ship and was normally one marine per ship gun, plus officers. In context this meant that a First Rate Ship had 104 marines while a 28-gun frigate had twenty-nine.

The Royal Marines Band Service is the musical division of the Royal Navy and its headquarters were first in Portsmouth then in Deal from 1930. There are currently five bands and the Royal Marines School of Music is based at HMS Nelson. The development of Royal Marines music is linked with the growth of British military bands generally. Royal Marine drummers were mentioned as early as 1664 at the formation of corps.

In 1767 Royal Marines Divisional Bands were formed at Chatham, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Deal. Marine bands and their corps of drums provided music on board ships during the Napoleonic Wars.  In 1903 the formation of the Royal Naval School of Music was given to the Royal Marines and it was from that point onwards that the Band Service became an integral part of the Royal Marines.

As a result of the Royal Marine affiliation to the Royal Navy, and also their control by the Admiralty, some of the records which will relate to Royal Marine service can be located within the records of the Royal Navy. Under the Admiralty, record keeping was comprehensive and detailed. The following relate specifically to researching records of service. Pension records, ships musters etc. are not part of the Royal Marine exclusive records. Royal Marine records are extensive and generally complete. The majority of Royal Marine records are held by The National Archives at Kew with some being available online. The most important single document you can find for a Royal Marine is his service record. You can search for and download these from The National Archives website up to c1925.

Relevant to family history research, in addition to Royal Marines serving aboard ship, they were also part of the Royal Naval Division serving on the Western Front. The first two commanders of the division were senior Royal Marine Artillery officers. Royal Marines were also present at other First World War land campaigns.

As well as the wealth of records for Royal Marines held at The National Archives, the museum archives include manuscripts, documents, diaries and administrative papers, many of which date to the eighteenth century. The museum also holds a valuable collection of photographs, Navy lists in a complete run from 1783 and information on uniforms worn by marines.

You can apply for a deceased marine's service record post-1925. Apply online www.apply-deceased-military-record.service.gov.uk but you will need to provide full name, birth date, service number and if possible supply a death certificate for an unredacted copy of the record. Those who served during the Second World War had the option to take their service record with them on discharge, so these may well be within you own family archive. In any case, they will not be available through the government service.