Hi Lynne, Advancement to Petty Officer is relatively straightforward in the timescale. Advancement would be as follows: Boy Seaman under 17yrs 6mths Ordinary Seaman on attaining 18yrs Able Seaman after six months Leading Seaman after passing professional courses and dependant on vacancies ( you would be placed on a roster according to seniority) Petty Officer Seaman after qualifying professionally and like L/Seaman advanced when vacancies occur. Other branches followed much the same system. Until the 1960's each Port Division operated its own Advancement rosters ie Portsmouth, Chatham and Devonport. In my case I joined the Portsmouth Division in 1954 as a Junior Stores Asst 2 class age 17, attained 1st class at 17 1/2 Probationery Stores Asst at 18 yrs Stores Asst at 18 1/2 years qualified by examination for advancement but a very long roster meant it was January 1960 before advancement to Leading Stores Accountant. Passed for Petty Officer in May 1961 and advanced to Petty Officer in Oct 1963. Commissioned in Sept 1967 to the Special Duties List, (S/Lt (SD) Stores) Promoted Lt in October 1970 and transferred to the General List and finally promoted to Lt Cdr Seniority 25 Jan 1972. Hope this clarifies things. Commissioned Naval Officers never leave the Royal Navy but only move from the Active List to the Retired List. Those on the Retired List can be called forward to the Active List but as my papers say this would be unlikely after the age of 60yrs. Guess I'm safe now at 70!! Mike Waterlooville

Hi Mike, That's very helpful. Its difficult for me to judge how the class system might have worked at that time. Just to be sure I understand, my gggrandfather, the petty officer, would have been a COMMISSIONED officer and therefore likely wouldn't have left the Navy until he died or retired? How likely is it that he died on land and had his death recorded there? I can't find him in the online Royal Navy lists and, since they start at 1873, he should be there unless he died or retired prior to that. I guess he could have been invalided out since he likely would have been too young to retire. Any clues as to his likely life history are helpful since I have had great difficulty in being sure I have the right John Little. Hope you are enjoying your retirement, Mike. Thanks for taking time to help those of us who are still slaving away. Lynne Quoting [email protected]: > Hi Lynne, > > Advancement to Petty Officer is relatively straightforward in the timescale. > Advancement would be as follows: > > Boy Seaman under 17yrs 6mths > Ordinary Seaman on attaining 18yrs > Able Seaman after six months > Leading Seaman after passing professional courses and dependant on vacancies > ( you would be placed on a roster according to seniority) > Petty Officer Seaman after qualifying professionally and like L/Seaman > advanced when vacancies occur. > > Other branches followed much the same system. Until the 1960's each Port > Division operated its own Advancement rosters ie Portsmouth, Chatham and > Devonport. In my case > I joined the Portsmouth Division in 1954 as a Junior Stores Asst 2 class age > 17, attained 1st class at 17 1/2 Probationery Stores Asst at 18 yrs Stores > Asst at 18 1/2 years qualified by examination for advancement but a very long > roster meant it was January 1960 before advancement to Leading Stores > Accountant. Passed for Petty Officer in May 1961 and advanced to > Petty Officer in Oct 1963. Commissioned in Sept 1967 to the Special > Duties List, (S/Lt (SD) > Stores) Promoted Lt in October 1970 and transferred to the General List and > finally promoted to Lt Cdr Seniority 25 Jan 1972. > > Hope this clarifies things. Commissioned Naval Officers never leave the > Royal Navy but only move from the Active List to the Retired List. > Those on the > Retired List can be called forward to the Active List but as my papers say > this would be unlikely after the age of 60yrs. Guess I'm safe now at 70!! > > Mike > Waterlooville >