UK, Royal Navy Officer Patrol Service Cards, 1904-1970

The records in this collection consist of two cards per record.

The Royal Navy originally sorted the cards in this collection by function, then service number. This can give you insights into your ancestor’s role while in the service. Functions can be determined by an abbreviated identifier found before the service number.

The Royal Navy Patrol Service (RNPS) was a branch of the Royal Navy which operated during both World Wars. Unlike other branches of the military, the RNPS has roots in the fishing industry. Officers in the RNPS were often recruits from the Royal Naval Reserve who started as fishermen during peacetime. Trawlers, a type of boat that operates by dragging fishing nets across the bottom of the sea, were found to be useful in minesweeping and anti-submarine operations. The small boats primarily worked on the homefront to keep supply lines clear of mines, however; the RNPS was also involved in convoy missions everywhere from the Arctic Sea to the Mediterranean.

The original collection is held at The National Archives in Kew.

The original collection was created by the Ministry of Food and is currently held at the Imperial War Museum. The images in this collection were created from microfilm held at The National Archives.

Bibliography

RNPS Association. “History.” Last Modified 2019. http://www.rnpsa.co.uk/cms/?History

The National Archives. “Admiralty: Royal Naval Patrol Service (Trawler Skipper) cards” Last Modified 2020. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16610719