NAVAL PERSONNEL WARTIME STRENGTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 118, 15 November 1939, Page 9

NAVAL PERSONNEL

WARTIME STRENGTH

PROBABLE TOTAL 229,000

WORK OF AUXILIARY CRAFT

(British Official Wireless.) (Received November 15, 11.10 a.m.)

RUGBY, November 14.

The active service personnel of the Royal Navy allowed for in tlie 1939 naval estimates was 133,000. With reserves now serving and 50,000 men to be enrolled under the National Service Acts, it is anticipated that the war total of the British naval personnel will be brought up to 229,000.

At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 the' war personnel of the Royal Navy was 201,000, which increased to 407,000 at the time of the Armistice. In that war, however, there were many more battleships, battle cruisers, and cruisers, absorbing larger complements than we now possess or are necessary for dealing with the much smaller German fleet.

The tremendous reserves of naval man power and ships which Britain possesses > was illustrated in Mr, Churphill's recent speech when, he mentioned that' the- number of Britain's anti-submarine and patrol craft had been trebled since the beginning of hostilities. In-the last war the number of vessels in the auxiliary patrol increased from 745 on December 31; 1914, to 3714, at the time 'of the Armistice, even after heavy losses. In November, 1918, the mine-sweeping force alone comprised '726 vessels — 110 regular naval ships, 52 hired paddle-steamers of the excursion type, 412 fishing trawlers, 142 herring drifters, and 10 shallow-draught minesweepers of a special type. The work of the mine-sweepers and auxiliary patrol, craft of all types, including trawlers, yachts, drifters, and motor-boats, was one of the outstanding features of the last war, as it is today. These little ships were manned almost entirely by officers and. men of the merchant navy and fishing fleets, and by civilians from every profession and walk of life, eager to serve afloat. '