Regulations for the Education and Promotion of the Engineers of the Royal Navy

Index
 
Regulations for the Education and Promotion of the Engineers of the Royal Navy


Circular (late) No. 60 W.
Admiralty, 12th October, 1863.

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have had under their consideration the present Regulations far the Entry and Promotion of Engineers in the Royal Navy, and, with the view of improving the education and increasing the efficiency of that Class of Officers, as well as improving the education of the Engineer Boys in the Government Factories, have established the following Regulations, which are to be substituted for those now in force:-

1. The term "Engineer Students" is to be substituted for that of" Engineer Boys."

2. Vacancies for appointments as Engineer Students will be open to public competition.

3. The Lists of Candidates will be kept by the Superintendents of the Dockyards, to whom all applications must be addressed.

4. Candidates must not be less than fifteen or more than sixteen years of age on the first day of the month after the examination. Proof of age will be required by certificate at birth, extract from baptismal register, or declaration before a Magistrate, which must be produced at the time of the examination. They must also produce evidence of respectability and good character on a form which will be furnished by the Superintendents of the Dockyards. They will not be admitted for examination until they have been pronounced fit for H.M. Service by the Medical Officers in the Yards.

* By Regulations of 10th of May, i8", it, is ISM doom that applications must be addressed to the 8a a the Dockyards before the 1A or army. or t a November, is snob year. Candidates must not be less than fifteen, 1!m nor mots then sixteen years of age as the Asst day at V1 Examination. The Examinations will commence on the first Tuesdays is June and December.

5. Examinations will be held in January and June. The following will be the subjects of examination, and the maximum number marks for each subject :-

* Arithmetic, including vulgar and decimal fractions, and square and cube roots 250
* Orthography 100
* Handwriting 100
* Grammar and English Composition 200
Geography 100
Translation of French into English 100
* Euclid � first six books 200
*Algebra, including quadratic equations 200
Total 1250

6. Candidates possessing a competent knowledge of all these subjects be selected fir entry in the Dockyards according to the number of marks gained in the examination. Those who fail at the first will be allowed a second, if not over age.

7. Engineer Students will be employed in the Factories for a period of six years, with a view to their becoming Naval Engineers if, on examination at the end of that time, they are found to possess the necessary qualifications. In the course of the six years they will be employed in the fitting and erecting ships, and will attend in the drawing office, the foundries, the smitheries, and other ships, to acquire a general knowledge of the work done in them. They will also attend the Dockyard School two afternoons and two evenings in the week to pursue such studies as may from time to time be determines on. Means will also be afforded them of acquiring the groundwork of the knowledge required by a Naval Engineer, respecting the working of marine engines and boilers, the practical use of the various instruments used in the engine room, including the indicator, and of becoming generally acquainted with the duties of a Naval Engineer.

8. Engineer Students will be examined twice a year by the Inspector of Schools, and the marks obtained for these examinations will cumulate up to the final one for entry as Assistant Engineer.

The final examination will embrace the subjects mentioned in paragraph 5 1250 marks.
* Plane Trigonometry 150 marks
* Hydrostatics 100 "
* Mechanics 200 "
Dynamics 100 "
Elementary Chemistry . 100 "
* Properties of steam 100 "
* General good Conduct and Industry 300 "
Total 2500 "

Engineer Students must gain 1000 marks before they obtain a certificate of qualification. These numbers must include at least half of the numbers allotted to the subjects marked with an *. The certificates will be of two classes. To obtain a first class certificate a Student must gain 1800 marks, which must comprise three-fourths of the numbers in the subjects marked. A first class certificate will be regarded, in respect of promotion, as equal to one year�s sea service. The Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery will also examine the Engineer Students twice a year as to their progress in practical studies and no Engineer Student will be entered !n the Navy until the Chief Engineer certifies that by his skill as a workman, his knowledge of steam machinery, and his good and steady conduct, he is fully qualified for the appointment of Assistant Engineer.

9. Engineer Students who may fail to attain the required standard for the scholastic examination at the end of six years, will be allowed to present themselves a second time, at the next half-yearly examination of the Inspector of Schools ; if they fail to obtain their certificates at the second examination, they will cease to be eligible for the Naval Service.

10. The weekly pay of Engineer Students will be 8s. during the first year at their training, and !f they are reported deserving by the Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery, it will be increased 2s. a week each year until the sixth, and then increased 8s., making their wages 24s. a week for the last year.

11 Engineer Boys at present in the factories (in future to be designated Students.) will be placed as nearly as circumstances will admit, on the same footing as the Engineer Students who may hereafter be entered ; they will be required to give the same attendance in the school as other Engineer Students, and their five years� training will be lengthened to make up for the time they may spend in school during working hours ; those who, at the expiration at their time, have not acquired sufficient skill as workman to qualify them for examination for Assistant Engineers, will be allowed to remain until they are so qualified, but !n no case will they be retained after reaching the age of 21. They will have to undergo the same periodical examinations before the Inspector of Schools and the Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery as those who enter as Engineer Students.

12. Persons from the private trade who may be desirous of entering the Navy as Assistant Engineers must be at least 21 years of age, and must apply, as at present, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, furnishing information as to where they have been brought up, and certificates of character and efficiency ; orders will then be given for such as may be thought fit, to be examined, as at present, by the Dockyard Officers, who are to take whatever further means may be necessary to satisfy themselves fully as to the candidates possessing the requisite practical qualifications. The exigencies of the Service will determine in same degree the nature of this examination. If the candidates pass they will be entered on probation for twelve months, and placed on the books of the ships of the Steam Reserve. They will have to attend the Dockyard School whenever their services can be spared, they will also be afforded opportunities of improving their mechanical knowledge, and if on the spot, they, as well as any other Engineers, will be allowed to present themselves for examination before the Inspector of Schools at any of his half-yearly visitations at the Dockyards. The examination will embrace the same subjects as the final one for Engineer Students ; those who pass it will receive a certificate either of the first or second class ; a first class certificate will be regarded, in respect of promotion, as equal to one year's sea service. Those who obtain either a first or a second class certificate will not be required to pass another examination, except on engineering subjects, to qualify them for promotion to any of the higher grades. Those who cannot get a certificate from the Inspector of Schools will not be eligible for promotion to Chief Engineers, unless under special circumstances the Admiralty should grant them a dispensing order, but they may rise to the rank of Engineers, provided they can pass the professional examinations.

13. Although it is not essentially required of the Engineer Officers, whether brought up in the Dockyard Factories or not, who obtain second class certificates, to present themselves again at any of the half-yearly examinations, it will be open to them to do so, and it they can obtain a first class certificate it will be regarded, in respect of promotion, as equal to one year's service at sea in the grade they may have attained at the time of passing the examination. A Chief Engineer's qualification for a First or Second Rate, as well as his eligibility for filling superior situations, will be in some measure determined by the class of certificate he may have obtained.

14. These Regulations will apply to Engineers now in the Navy, and to those who may become Engineers, whether brought up in the Dockyard Factories or not.

15. The Inspector of Dockyard Schools, and the Chief Engineers and Inspectors of Machinery, will make to the Admiralty annual reports of the progress and conduct of the Engineer Students and Engineers attending the Schools.

Practical Qualifications of Engineer Officers, Passing and Promotion at Home and Abroad.

A Candidate for the appointment of Second-Class Assistant Engineer must produce certificates of servitude in a factory, or proof of his acquaintance with engine work, and of his practical abilities as a mechanic, as well as testimonials of good conduct and character ; he must possess all the qualifications requisite to enable him, after a short experience in the working of marine engines, to execute efficiently the duty of Second-Class Assistant-Engineer of any of Her Majesty's Ships ; he must be able to keep accounts, and make rough working sketches of engines and boilers ; he must understand the general principle of the engine, and be acquainted with the names of the various parts and their uses ; and be willing to exert himself as a mechanic and workman in the several contingencies that may arise in the engine-room.

A Second-Class Assistant-Engineer who has served as such in one or more of Her Majesty�s Ships, on full pay, for three complete years, may be examined as to his qualifications for the appointment of First-Class Assistant-Engineer, by order of the Commander-in-Chief, or Senior Officer present, - if at home, the Chief Engineer and Inspector d Machinery of one of Her Majesty's Dockyards, and the Inspector of Machinery Afloat, in the presence of the Superintendent, or of such other Officer as may be nominated for the purpose, - and if abroad, by an Inspector of Machinery afloat, and two Chief Engineers, in the presence of a Captain or Commander.

The Candidate must possess all the qualifications required of a Second-Crass Assistant-Engineer, by [being] fully competent to perform the various duties of a First-Class Assistant- Engineer, and to take charge of a watch in the engine-room, when the steam is up at sea.

An Officer must serve for two complete years, on full pay, as First-Class Assistant-Engineer, in one or more of H.M. Ships, before be is eligible for promotion to Engineer, when he may be examined under regulations similar to those laid down for promotion to First-Class Assistant-Engineer. He must possess all the qualifications required of a First-Class Assistant-Engineer, be fully competent to perform the various duties of an Engineer, well acquainted with the principle upon which marine engines work in all their parts, able to adjust all the various working parts, and set right defects which may arise in the engines and boilers , and in every way competent to take charge of the engines in the absence of the Chief Engineer.

When a First-Class Assistant-Engineer who possesses a certificate from the Inspector of Schools presents himself for examination for promotion to Engineer, he may also pass an examination in engineering knowledge which will qualify him for Chief Engineer.

An Officer must serve for three complete years, on full pay, as Engineer in one or more of Her Majesty's Ships before he is eligible for promotion to Chief Engineer, when he may be examined touching his fitness for that rank. by the Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery of one of Her Majesty's Dockyards. and the Inspector of Machinery afloat, in the presence of the Superintendent, or of such other Officer as may be nominated for that purpose : but he cannot receive a commission as Chief Engineer until he has a certificate from the Inspector of Schools or has been granted a dispensing order from the Admiralty. He must possess all the qualifications requisite to enable him to execute efficiently the duty of Chief Engineer of any one of Her Majesty�s Ships : he must he able to make notes in the register of every particular of the working of the engines and boilers, draw rough sketches of any part of the machinery, with figured dimensions. fit to work from ; be able and willing to exert himself practically as a mechanic and workman when occasion requires, either in driving the engines, or packing, repairing or adjusting the working parts of the machinery, or making good the defects of boilers ; he must possess a thorough knowledge of the construction and working of marine engines and boilers in all their parts, and be so far acquainted with the elements of theoretical mechanics as to comprehend the general principles on which the machine works ; he must understand how to apply the Indictor, and draw the proper conclusions from the diagrams ; and he must be acquainted with the principles of expansion, and able to prove, or at least to illustrate, the advantages to be derived from the use of expansive gear.

An Engineer. or a First or Second Class Assistant-Engineer who may be serving abroad, where the requisite number of proper examining Officers cannot be obtained, may be provisionally examined, under the directions of the Senior Officer present, by an Inspector of Machinery Afloat, or by one, two. or three Chief Engineers, according as such Officers may be on the spot, in the presence of a Captain or Commander, or of the Officer commanding the ship in which the candidate may at the time be borne : and no Engineer Officer is to be considered eligible for advancement to a rank or class for which he has not passed at least a provisional examination ; neither will he be eligible for confirmation in any rank which he may have attained after passing provisionally, until he shall have passed the established examination before proper Officers, in accordance with the foregoing instructions.

Engineer Officers of ships about to leave England for service abroad. may present themselves for examination for promotion to Superior ranks, twelve mouths before completing the respective periods of service specified above.

A certain number of Engineers who may be considered fit and deserving, may. at their own request, be selected, from time to time, by the Admiralty, as "Engineers for special

charge." As a general rule, they will not be appointed to ships bearing Chief Engineers : but they arc not, after being so selected, to be considered eligible for promotion to the rook of Chief Engineer.

By command of their Lordships,

C. Paget.

To all Commanders-in-Chief, &c.


Memorandum.
Admiralty March 15, 1866.

Engineer Officers will be examined by the Chief Engineers of the Dockyards only on the First Tuesday in every month, except under special circumstances.


Regulations for the Education and Promotion of the Engineers of the Royal Navy.

Admiralty, 22nd February, 1869.

1. Vacancies for Appointments as Engineer Students in the Factories at Woolwich, Sheerness, Portsmouth, and Devonport are open to public competition.

2. The Lists of Candidates are kept by the Superintendents of those Dockyards, to whom all applications must be addressed before the 1st of May, or 1st of November, in each year. With a view of complying as far as practicable with the wishes of the Candidates as to their distribution among the several Factories, the candidates in their application for nomination are to write down the names of the four Factories in order of preference.

3. Candidates must not be less than fifteen nor more than sixteen years of age on the first day of the Examination. Proof of age will be required by Certificate of Birth, extract from Baptismal Register, or declaration before a Magistrate. Evidence of respectability and good character must also be produced on a form which will be furnished by the Superintendents of the Dockyards. They will not he admitted for examination until they have been pronounced fit for H.M. Service by the Medical Officers in the Yards.

4. The Examinations will commence on the first Tuesdays in June and December.

5. The following will be the subjects of examination, and the maximum number of Marks for each subject:

* Arithmetic, including vulgar and decimal fractions, and square and cube roots 250
* Orthography 100
* Handwriting 100
* Reading 100
* Grammar 100
* English Composition 100
  Geography 100
  Translation of French into English 150
* Euclid-First six books 300
* Algebra, including quadratic equations 300
  Total 1600

6. Candidates will be subjected to a Preliminary Examination in the first three subjects, and should they fail in any of the three they will be at once rejected. Those who pass the preliminary test will then undergo a Competitive Examination in the remaining subjects, and the Candidates who display a competent knowledge of all the above subjects will be classed in one general list in order of merit, according to the number of marks gained, and will be eligible for appointment in existing vacancies. Those who do not succeed at the first examination will be allowed a second trial, if not over age; but they must apply to the Superintendents for a second nomination.

7. Engineer Students will be employed in the Factories for a period of six years, with a view to their becoming Naval Engineers if, on examination at the end of that time, they are found to possess the necessary qualifications. In the course of the six years they will its employed in the fitting and erecting shops, and will attend in the drawing office, the foundries, the smitheries, and other shops, to acquire a general knowledge of the work done in them. They will also attend at the Dockyard School two afternoons and two evenings in the week to pursue such studies as may from time to time be determined on. Means will also be afforded them of acquiring the groundwork of the knowledge required by a Naval Engineer, respecting the working of marine engines and boilers, the practical use of the various instruments used in the engine room, including the indicator, and of becoming generally acquainted with the duties of a Naval Engineer.

8. Engineer Students will be examined twice a year by the Director of Education, on the third Mondays in January and July, and the Marks obtained for these Examinations will cumulate up to the final one for entry as Assistant Engineer. The final examination will embrace

The subjects mentioned in paragraph 5 2650 1600 marks.
* Plane Trigonometry 150 "
* Hydrostatics 100 "
* Mechanics 200 "
  Dynamics 100 "
  Elementary Chemistry 100 "
* Properties of Steam 100 "
* General good Conduct and Industry 300 "
  Total 2650 marks

9. Engineer Students must gain 1150 marks before they obtain a certificate of qualification. These numbers must include at least half of the numbers allotted to the subjects marked with all*. The certificates will be of two classes. To obtain a first-class certificate a Student must gain 2000 marks, which must comprise three-fourths of the numbers in the subjects marked. A first-class certificate will be regarded, in respect of promotion, as equal to one year's sea-service. The Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery will also examine the Engineer Students twice a year as to their progress in practical studies, and no Engineer Student will be entered in the Navy until the Chief Engineer certifies that by his skill as a workman, his knowledge of steam machinery, and his good and steady conduct, he is fully qualified for the appointment of Assistant Engineer.

10. Engineer Students who may fail to attain the required standard for the scholastic examination at the end of six years, will be allowed to present themselves a second time, at the next half-yearly examination of the Director of Education; if they fail to obtain their certificates at the second examination, they will cease to be eligible for the Naval Service.

11. The weekly pay of Engineer Students will be 8s. during the first year of their training, and if they are reported deserving by the Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery, it will be increased 2s. a week each year until the sixth, and then increased 8s., making their wages 24s. a week for the last year.

12. The most intelligent of the Students will be eligible for a more advanced education at the School of Naval Architecture, in accordance with the Regulations contained in the Admiralty Circular of the 17th June, 1864, and those educated there will be bound under a Penalty of Fifty Pounds to remain in Her Majesty's Service for five Years after the expiration of their studies.


Practical Qualifications of Engineer Officers, Passing and Promotion at Home and Abroad.

[This article appears to have been published at the same time as the previous one.]

A Candidate for the appointment of Second-Class Assistant-Engineer must produce certificates of servitude in a factory, or proof of his acquaintance with engine work, and of his practical abilities as a mechanic, as well as testimonials of good conduct and character; he must possess all the qualifications requisite to enable him, after a short experience in the working of marine engines, to execute efficiently the duty of Second-Class Assistant-Engineer of any of Her Majesty's Ships; he must be able to keep accounts, and make rough working sketches of engines and boilers; be must understand the general principle of the engine, and be acquainted with the names of the various parts and their uses; and be willing to exert himself as a mechanic and workman in the several contingencies that may arise in the engine-room.

A Second-Class Assistant-Engineer who has served as such in one or more of Her Majesty's Ships, on full pay, for three complete years, may be examined as to his qualifications for the appointment of First-Class Assistant-Engineer, by order of the Commander-in-Chief, or senior Officer present: if at home, by the Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery of one of Her Majesty's Dockyards, and the Inspector of Machinery Afloat, in the presence of the Superintendent, or of such other Officer as may he nominated for the purpose, and if abroad, by an Inspector of Machinery afloat, and two Chief Engineers, in the presence of a Captain or Commander. The Candidate must possess all the qualifications required of a Second-Class Assistant-Engineer, by fully competent to perform the various duties of a First-Class Assistant-Engineer, and to take charge of a watch in the engine-room, when the steam is up at sea.

An Officer must serve for two complete years on full pay, as First-Class Assistant-Engineer, in one or more of H.M. Ships, before he is eligible for promotion to Engineer, when he may be examined under regulations similar to those laid down for promotion to First-Class Assistant-Engineer. He must possess all the qualifications required of a First-Class Assistant-Engineer, be fully competent to perform the various duties of an Engineer, well acquainted with the principle upon which marine engines work in all their parts, able to adjust all the various working parts, and set right defects which may arise in the engines and boilers, and in every way competent to take charge of the engines in the absence of the Chief Engineer.

When a First-Class Assistant-Engineer who possesses a certificate from the Inspector of Schools presents himself for examination for promotion to Engineer, he may also pass all examination in engineering knowledge which will qualify him for Chief Engineer.

An Officer must serve for three complete years, on full pay, as Engineer in one or more of Her Majesty's Ships before he is eligible for promotion to Chief Engineer, when he may be examined touching his fitness for that rank, by the Chief Engineer and Inspector of Machinery of one of Her Majesty's Dockyards, and the Inspector of Machinery afloat, in the presence of the Superintendent, or of such other Officer as may be nominated for that purpose: but he cannot receive a commission as Chief Engineer until he has a certificate from the Inspector of Schools or has been granted a dispensing order from the Admiralty. He must possess all the qualifications requisite to enable him to execute efficiently the duty of Chief Engineer of any one of Her Majesty's Ships; he must he able to make notes in the register of every particular of the working of the engines and boilers, draw rough sketches of any part of the machinery, with figured dimensions, fit to work from; be able and willing to exert himself practically as a mechanic and workman when occasion requires, either in driving the engines, or packing, repairing, or adjusting the working parts of the machinery, or making good the defects of boilers; he must possess a thorough knowledge of the construction and working of marine engines and boilers in all their parts, and be so far acquainted with the elements of theoretical mechanics as to comprehend the general principles on which the machine works; he must understand how to apply the Indicator, and draw the proper conclusions from the diagrams; and he must be acquainted with the principles of expansion, and able to prove, or at least to illustrate, the advantages to be derived from the use of expansive gear.

An Engineer, or a First or Second Class Assistant-Engineer, who may be serving abroad, where the requisite number of proper examining Officers cannot be obtained, may be provisionally examined, under the directions of the senior Officer present, by an Inspector of Machinery Afloat or by one, two, or three Chief Engineers, according as such Officers may be on the spot, in the presence of a Captain or Commander, or of the Officer commanding the ship in which the candidate may at the time be borne; and no Engineer Officer is to be considered eligible for advancement to a rank or class for which he has not passed at least a provisional examination; neither will he be eligible for confirmation in any rank which he may have attained after passing provisionally, until he shall have passed the established examination before proper Officers, in accordance with the foregoing instructions.

Engineer Officers of ships about to leave England for service abroad, may present themselves for examination for promotion to superior ranks, twelve months before completing the respective periods of service specified above.

A certain number of Engineers who may be considered fit and deserving, may, at their own request, be selected, from time to time, by the Admiralty, as " Engineers for special charge." As a general rule, they will not be appointed to ships bearing Chief Engineers; but they are not, after being so selected, to be considered eligible for promotion to the rank of Chief Engineer.

By Command of their Lordships,
C. Paget.

^ back to top ^