| Index |
823. Care in filling up.-When filling up certificates the Captain will always bear in mind that their value to the individual and to the Service depends on the care and deliberation with which this important duty is performed ; that the future career of the officer or the man may much depend on the character and ability awarded, and that a certificate often is a man's passport through life ; he will also bear in mind that a lower character than "fair" entails the loss, in respect to pension, of the whole of the time so recorded. 824. Officers' Certificates.-The Captain is to give to every officer serving under him, whether as part complement or supernumerary, on his discharge or on other prescribed occasions, a certificate of conduct on form S. 450 ; the right-hand certificate is to be given to the officer, and the book with the counterparts of all the certificates given, which are to be exact transcripts of the originals, is to be sent to the Admiralty when the ship is paid off, except that stationary and other ships at the home ports are to send the book to the Admiralty at the expiration of three years from the date of commencement, whether completed or not. No candidate shall be allowed to reckon as qualifying time any period for which he cannot produce certificates of sobriety and good conduct from the Captains of the ships in which he has been employed. 2. Forfeiture of time.-The Captain is not indirectly to deprive a subordinate officer of any period of his time by withholding from him the certificate required by clause. I ; but if the conduct of a subordinate officer should oblige the Captain to exercise his power of depriving him of time under the Naval Discipline Act, he is to record his having done so in the log, noting in the ledger the time so forfeited and reporting the circumstances to his superior authority for the information of the Admiralty ; he will note the forfeiture on any other certificate he may be required to furnish. 3. Officers borne for time in Depots.-When an officer is borne for time in a general depot, but does duty under any Captain other than that of the general depot, his certificate is to be initialled by the depot Captain for time only, and is to be filled in and signed for conduct, &c., by the Captain under whom he is employed. 4. On Passage in Contract Ship.-When an officer takes passage in a contract ship, the Captain of the ship to which the officer is discharged is to furnish a certificate for time on passage. 5. R.N.R. and R.N.V.R. Officers.-When officers of the Royal Naval Reserve or Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, are appointed to His Majesty's ships they are to receive the following certificates :
273 6. Forwarding Certificates.-In cases where the officer has left the ship before the certificate can be handed to him, it is to be placed under separate cover and sent to him direct. 825. Assessing Characters of Men.-In assessing the character of a man, the Captain should take into consultation the Executive Officer and the Officer of the man's Division, or the Marine Officer, as the case may be, as well as any other officer who may have special knowledge of the man's character and abilities ; he is fully to consider all the entries against him in the conduct book, or in the company conduct sheet in the case of a marine, and also his general character and efficiency, so that this duty, so important both to the man and to the Service, may be performed justly and with proper deliberation. 826. Conduct Book.-A conduct book, according to form S. 239, is to be carefully kept under the Captain's own immediate superintendence. He will be responsible for all notations in the book relative to conduct, offences and punishments ; and the accountant officer for the correctness of those relating to dates of entry, ratings, discharges, &c. This book is to be produced whenever the ship is inspected, or whenever the Captain is required to produce it, by superior authority ; if superseded, he is to deliver it to his successor. 2. Use of Book.-It is to contain a complete record of the conduct of every naval rating in the ship in which he is serving, as shown by his badges, class for conduct, class for leave, offences, punishments, &c., so as to afford the data upon which the record of his character is founded ; and to guide the Captain in awarding punishments. Marines are not to be entered. 3. It is not a record to be kept beyond the period of the ship's commission, as it is not desired that all the petty offences committed by men should remain on permanent record against them. 4. Disposal on paying off.-On paying off, or when new books are opened, the conduct book is to be sent to the Accountant-General, where it will be retained for reference for two years only, at the end of which period it will be destroyed. 5. A folio of the book is to be allotted to each naval rating borne in the ship, except in the cases of men on passage and of men awaiting disposal or under instruction in general depots, gunnery, torpedo, and signal schools, and instructional destroyer flotillas ; the names of these men need not be entered in the book, unless they commit themselves. 6. Particulars from Conduct Sheet.-On a naval rating joining, his name, and the whole of the particulars noted in the conduct sheet which accompanies him, are to be at once recorded in the conduct book; all subsequent notations required by the headings are to be made at the time the occurrences take place. On being discharged, the information sent away with him on the conduct sheet, including his character assessed to date from the previous 31st December, is to be copied into the conduct book, to complete his record. 7. Offences and Punishments.-All offences committed by and punishments awarded to any person on board, except marines, under the rank of subordinate officer are to be entered in the book. 8. At the expiration of the year, after the character of each man has been assessed, a line in red ink is to be drawn across the page below the record of offences committed by him. 274 827. Daily Record.-The entries in the daily record of offences and punishments (form S. 240) are to be initialled at the end of each week by the Captain; the punishments awarded by the Executive and the Marine Officer, if any, having been previously initialled by those officers. 2. In abstracting the punishments from the daily record of offences, according to the various sections of Article 757, for the quarterly return of punishments, the Captain is to be particular in filling up the columns and careful to determine the class in which each punishment and offence should be placed so as to exhibit a fair and impartial classification. Deductions from pay under Articles 808 to 810 are not to be included in the return. 3. Disposal of Daily Record.-The records are to be closed on the last day of each quarter and forwarded with the punishment return to the Commander-in-Chief, who after due examination will transmit them to the Accountant-General; new daily records being opened for the ensuing quarter. 828. Conduct Sheet.-Whenever it is necessary for a man's service certificate to accompany him, there is to be attached to it a conduct sheet (form S. 239a) containing all the information provided for. 829. Service Certificate.-A service certificate, on form S. 536, is to be prepared for every man and boy on first entry. When any person offers himself for entry, special inquiry is to be made as to whether he has ever been in the Service ; and if so, and he fail to produce his certificate, a new certificate is not, on any account, to be prepared for him until the necessary particulars have been received from the Accountant-General to whom application should be made. 2. Re-entries.-In the event of a man's service certificate having become defaced during the period he was out of the Service, a new certificate may, when necessary, be issued to him on- re-entry. 3. Notations of Service.-The service of every man is to be shown on his service certificate, and for this purpose, the name of every ship in which he is borne for wages, whether as part complement or otherwise, or waiting trial for desertion, is to be noted thereon, together with the dates of his entry and discharge from each ship. 4. Record of Character.- The character of every seaman and marine borne on the books of a ship is to be recorded upon his certificate by the Captain in his own handwriting, as follows:
Should he rejoin the Service within the year, his character for the period subsequent to his return is to be assessed at the end of the year, without reference to such period of imprisonment or detention, or the second class for conduct resulting from it. See 1186 clause 1 (Marines discharged to Gaol or Detention by General or District Court Martial). In cases coming under (c) or (d), should the man rejoin the Service within the year, the assessed character awarded on 31st December is to cover the whole of the year, the intermediate character awarded on desertion or discharge being ruled out. This does not apply to recovered deserters awaiting trial at the end of the year; in these 275 cases an assessment of character on 31st December is not to be made. The Captain's Signature is to be written on the same line as the character awarded. 5. Officers' Stewards and Cooks.-The characters of Officers' Stewards and Cooks are to be assessed and recorded upon their service certificates on the day before they attain the age of 20 years, in addition to the occasions specified in clause 4. 6. Terms for Character.-Characters are to be recorded as follows:
7. Men Absent.-Any person who may be on passage, in prison or under detention by summary punishment, or in hospital, on the 31st December in any year, is to have his character to that date assessed from his conduct sheet on his arrival on board the ship to which he is sent or to which he may return, the assessment being made by the Captain of such ship. Invalids.-A man invalided out of the Service at a home port is to have his character assessed to date from the entries on his conduct sheet by the Captain presiding at the survey, except in the case of a marine, whose character is to be assessed and his discharge noted on his service certificate at headquarters. 8. Men recently joined Ship.-In the case of men who have been transferred from other ships, and of marines who have embarked from headquarters since the 31st of the preceding December, the Captain is to take into consideration the notations on the conduct sheets (or company conduct sheets) which they brought with them on transfer or on embarkation. 9. General Character Rules.-The following general rules are to be observed in the assessment of character, but it is to be clearly understood that the Captain in each case is to exercise his own discretion within the following prescribed limits, viz. :
NOTE.-Should the Captain be entirely satisfied with the behaviour, conduct, and work of a man for the year, apart from the offence which necessitated the award of good, he may assess his character as V.G., although he may have been deprived of one badge, or if in the first three years of his service or in a non-badge rating, awarded cells for not more than five days, but this consideration is only allowed on one occasion during a man's service. An award made under these circumstances should be distinguished by an asterisk, thus :-V.G.* 276 assessed, he has been sentenced to be punished in any of the following ways : 10. Imprisonment by the Civil Power is not to be taken into consideration in the assessment of character unless ordered under the provisions of Article 812. 11. Boys' Characters.-The characters of Boy ratings of all classes are in every case to be assessed on their service certificates on the day before attaining the age of 18. When boys have attained the age of 18 years their characters are only to be assessed as directed for men in clause 4. The characters of boys are also to be assessed upon final discharge from training to the general service if they are under 18 years of age at the time, but not if they are over that age. 12. Reading of Characters.-After each annual assessment the characters recorded are to. be read to the men at general muster and at the same time each man is to be afforded the opportunity of seeing his certificate. The characters, &c., of petty officers are to be read on a different occasion from those of the rest of the ship's company. 13. Verification of Addresses.-The name and address of each man's nearest known relative or friend are to be verified on 1st September in each year from form S. 537 prior to their being recorded on the ledger. (See 1563, clause 2). 830. Other Notations.-The other portions of the service certificate are to be carefully filled up from time to time and all notations respecting medals, badges, class for conduct, time forfeited, &c., and other information for which columns are provided, are to be made at the time when the occurrences take place. The notations are only to be made in the columns provided, and in accordance with the headings ; black ink only is to be used ; and all entries are to be in manuscript in accordance with the authorised abbreviations. 2. Dates are always to be filled in thus : 1 Jan. '85 : not 1 /1 /85. and the months are to be entered as follows:
3. R.M.G. or R.M.-Whenever a man has completed the required service and is recommended for the good conduct medal or gratuity, the necessary notations are to be made on his certificate according to the following abbreviations :
4. Religion.-The religious .denomination of every man or boy is to be noted on his certificate on first entry ; in the event of any man of good character representing himself as having become a member of a religious denomination other than that under which he had been entered, and as desirous of having the record altered accordingly, the Captain may permit the change to be made. 5. Port Division.-On first entry into the Service the name of the porn division to which a man or boy may be appropriated is to be noted on his service certificate in the space provided. 277 6. Bedding.-The date of the gratuitous supply of a set of bedding or of the last bedding gratuity is to be noted on the certificates of non-continuous service men. 7. Change in List and Number.-When a change takes place in the list and number of a man on the ship's books, a new line is not to be used merely for the purpose of showing that change, but on the next necessary entry on the certificate the latest list and number of a man are to be inserted. 8. Cause of Discharge.-The column for " Cause of Discharge " is only to be filled in under the heads given below, using the authorised abbreviations as follows :
No entry in the column is required for transfers from one ship to another without break of time or pay; nor for changes in rating, except that when disrated for incompetence the notation " Incompetence " is to be made. 9. Recommendations for R.F.R.-The service certificates of all men of those ratings which are eligible for enrolment in the Royal Fleet Reserve (see " Regulations for the Government of the Royal Fleet Reserve "), of Royal Marines and of all special service men entered in the Royal Navy after the 30th September, 1908, are to be endorsed with the words " Recommended for the Royal Fleet Reserve " if they are considered to be generally fit and fulfil the conditions laid down in the following paragraph. This endorsement should be made in the " Special Recommendations " column (page 2), a similar note being made at the same time in the " Remarks " column of the ship's ledger. Men are not to be recommended for enrolment whose ability is below " Good " or who are unlikely to fulfil one of the following conditions when discharged
The notation is to be made by Commanding Officers during the last year of the men's service, irrespective of whether or not they are desirous of joining the Royal Fleet Reserve. If discharged to other ships subsequently to the notation being made, except for passage or to await enrolment, the entry is to be confirmed by the signature of the new Commanding Officer. The Commodore of the depot is to make or confirm the notation in the case of men serving in a home depot at the time of discharge. In the case of marines the notation is to be made at the divisional headquarters. 278 In the event of any difference of opinion between Commanding Officers as to the fitness of any man for enrolment, the case is to be referred to the Commander-in-Chief of the man's port division for decision, or in the case of a marine to the Deputy Adjutant-General, Royal Marines. 10. Time Forfeited.-The loss of time caused by waiting trial for desertion, by imprisonment, detention or confinement in cells, by conviction by the civil power, or by cases being dealt with by an order under the Probation of Offenders Act, is to be shown on the certificate by notations in the division for " Time forfeited," using the authorised abbreviations as follows :
11. Remission of Sentence.-When a portion of an offender's sentence hag been remitted, care is to be taken to amend the notation under the head of " Time forfeited " made on the certificate at the date of sentence. 12. Corner cut off.-The corner of the service certificate of a seaman or marine is to be cut off when he is discharged with a " bad " character, with disgrace or in the case of a marine with ignominy, and when specially directed by the Admiralty. Whenever it is considered that a man's antecedents are such as to render his re-entry at any future time undesirable, application is to be made to the Admiralty for authority to cut off the corner of his certificate if he is not subject to the foregoing provisions. 13. Dead or Run men.-On the death or desertion of any person, after notation to that effect has been made on the certificate, it is to be transmitted into office with the monthly return. 14. Injuries.-Notations of injury received in acts of duty are to be made on the service certificates at the time that the hurt certificates are granted. 831. Ability in Rating.-The ability in his rating or rank of every seaman or marine is to be carefully assessed and noted on his service certificate by the Commanding Officer in his own handwriting on the occasions laid down by Article 829, clause 4, for the award of character. The Commanding Officer's signature is to be written on the same line as the ability awarded. Before making the assessment the Commanding Officer is invariably to, consult the head of the department to which the man belongs. 2. Terms Used.-The terms to be employed in assessing ability are the following :
The substantive rating held by the man at the time is to be noted in brackets after each assessment, thus: Ex. (A.B.). 3. Definitions of Terms.-As a guide to Commanding Officers when making their award the following definitions are given of the terms to be used :
279
4. General Rules for Assessment.-Commanding Officers should bear constantly in mind that the ability of a man is to be assessed not only by the manner in which he performs the duties of the particular rating which he holds, but also by comparison between the man himself and the general average of other men who hold the same rating. The mere fact of a man holding the rating of petty officer or chief petty officer does not in itself in any way necessitate the assessment of his ability in that rating as highly as it was assessed before be attained a position of responsibility. 5. " Ex.," " Supr.," and " Sat."-The awards " Exceptional," " Superior," and " Satisfactory " are intended to be given to none but efficient men, and practically represent the old award " V.G." divided into three classes according to fitness for advancement. The ability award of almost every man, however efficient, should therefore oscillate to some extent between these three awards, and men who have been awarded " Exceptional " or " Superior " before advancement should clearly understand that they cannot expect to receive a higher award than " Satisfactory "for the first year or so after advancement. Before a Commanding Officer gives a higher award than " Satisfactory " to any man within a year after his advancement he should satisfy himself that there are strong reasons for this course. 6. Exceptional.-The award " Exceptional " is to be used only in the cases of men who stand out unmistakably amongst their fellows both in natural capacity and in efficiency in the performance of their duties. In every ship's company there should be no difficulty in singling out the comparatively small number of men who are deserving of this award. A fair proportion of the remainder of the crew should, in ordinary circumstances, be qualified to receive the award " Superior," and the larger proportion that of " Satisfactory." The rest should be easily classed either of " Moderate " or " Inferior " ability. 7. The number of men awarded " Exceptional " in each ship or establishment, other than gunnery and torpedo schools, training establishments and depots, is not to exceed :
The awards may be distributed among the various departments of the ship, or to one or more of them, at the discretion of the Commanding Officer, but no attempt should be made to bring the number of " Exceptional " awards up to the maximum authorised. In the case of flag-ships, the awards of ability to ratings forming the Flag Officer's retinue, or borne for special duty with him, are not included in the percentage allowed to the ship. These ratings are to be awarded such ability as the Flag Officer considers they deserve, having regard to the general principles laid down. 280 8. Should there be in any ship or establishment a number of ratings considered worthy of this award in excess of the percentage authorised, the Commanding Officer may apply to the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer of the station or squadron for permission to award the additional number. 9. A list of all men to whom " Exceptional " is awarded at the end of the year is to be sent to the Commodore of the depot to which they belong, in order that their names may be noted for advancement. In cases where the percentage of " Exceptional " awards authorised in clause 7 is exceeded, the list should be accompanied by the written approval of the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer. 10. Men in Depots.-In the case of men serving in the depots the ability brought by a man from his last sea-going ship is to be awarded, except in cases in which the Commodore has some special reasons for making a change. 11. Men without Sea Service.-In the case of Stokers 2nd Class and Ordinary Seamen who have not served in a sea-going ship since their entry and rating, their ability is to be assessed by the Commodore to the best of his judgment. 12. Failure at an Examination is not to be noted on the candidate's service certificate. When such failure cannot be noted on a history sheet the correspondence relating to it or a notation made upon a sheet of paper, as may be most convenient, is to be attached to his service certificate. Examinations passed are to be noted under the proper heading on the service certificate when there is no history sheet applicable to the subject. Except in the case of men passing for warrant officer it is not necessary to retain any passing certificates. The educational certificate (Article 380) is to be kept with the service certificate. 13. E.R.A.s.-In the case of Engine-room Artificers, notations are to be made in the abbreviated form as follows:
Acting Electrician, 4th Class.-In the case of an Acting Electrician, Fourth Class: Electrician, 4th Class.-In the case of an Electrician, Fourth Class : Electricians, all Classes.-And for all classes of Electrician : 14. Stokers.-In the case of Stoker ratings who have qualified in one of the approved trades, the trade is to be noted. 15. T.B.D. or Submarine Course.-Men holding Seaman ratings who have completed a course of instruction in torpedo boat destroyers or submarines are to have the fact noted on their certificates, the words " T.B.D. Co." or " Subm. Co." with the date, being used for this purpose. 281 832. Authority of Certificate.-In all questions relative to a man's character or which depend upon it, the notations made upon his service certificate are to be considered as conclusive, unless the certificate should appear to have been tampered with, in which case the Captain on noticing it is immediately to report the particulars to the Admiralty, in order that reference may be made to the records in office to clear up the matter, and on the result being communicated the Captain is to note it upon the certificate, and attest it with his signature. 2. Irregularities.-The Captain is to report by letter to the Commander-in-Chief any irregularities he may observe in the certificates of men joining his ship. The attention of Captains of general depots and gunnery schools is especially drawn to this point. 3. Erasures or Alterations.-In no circumstances is any erasure to be made on the certificate, but if an error is committed, and detected at the time, it is to be at once corrected, without erasure, under the authority of the Captain, and attested by his signature. Except as provided by clause 5 of this Article, no alteration relative to the past is to be made on the certificate without the sanction of the Admiralty. 4. Custody of Certificates.-Certificates are to be kept in the boxes provided for the purpose in the office of the ship in which the men may be borne or serving, until they are finally discharged from the Service, when their several history sheets are to be detached from their service certificates and sent for custody to the gunnery or torpedo school, signal school, or general depot, as the case may be, of the port divisions to which the men belong; but whenever a man may require it, on application to the officer of his division, he is to be furnished with a copy of his certificate on the established form. 5. Annual Inspection.-The Commander-in-Chief is to take such steps as he may consider best to ensure that the certificates and the various history sheets of all men serving on board His Majesty's ships under his command are carefully inspected once in each year, in order that any irregularities may be detected and corrected. The fact that such an inspection has been held, and the date, is to be noted in the report of inspection of each ship. He is to cause all certificates and history sheets passing through his office to be examined, and in the event of their being found incomplete or incorrect, they are to be returned for correction to the ship from which they were forwarded. When this course is not practicable the attention of the Admiralty is to be called to any errors or omissions that may be noticed. 6. G.C.B. and Conduct Awards.-Awards and restorations of good conduct badges and restorations to the first class for conduct made by Commanding Officers of His Majesty's ships are to be accepted as final and are not subject to revision under clauses 2 and 5 of this Article. 833. Gunnery and Torpedo History Sheet.-A gunnery and torpedo history sheet, on form S. 1245, is to be provided for each seaman when he is first rated A. B., and for Royal Marines on qualifying for a higher gunnery rating in a gunnery school or on qualifying for the acting rating afloat. It is to be kept attached to the service certificate. 2. Notations on.-The history sheet is to be a complete record of a man's gunnery and torpedo qualifications and of individual practice with any gun from a 3-pounder upwards; the latter information is to be filled in immediately on the completion of each practice. All acting ratings held by a man are to be noted on it, as also the date on which he ceased to hold them. On the man leaving a ship it should be filled in most carefully, and should show the man's ability whilst in that ship and also his fitness for higher ratings. 282 Use of.-The gunnery and torpedo history sheets are important as being the chief guide to the officer who may be called upon to select men for advancement in gunnery or torpedo, whether at sea or in the schools of instruction. 3. Notation of Qualification, &c.-The date on which men qualify or re qualify in any gunnery or torpedo rating is to be noted on the ship's ledger, as well as on the gunnery and torpedo history sheets. 4. Disposal on Discharge.-On a man being discharged to the shore, his gunnery and torpedo history sheet is to be detached from his service certificate, and sent for custody to the gunnery or torpedo school at the port division to which he is assigned. Should he re-enter, it is to be obtained from the gunnery or torpedo school, and again attached to his certificate. (See 832, clause 4.) The gunnery and torpedo history sheet of a marine is to be sent to the headquarters of his division. 5. The selection or appropriation of candidates for higher gunnery and torpedo ratings is to be in the hands of the Captains of the gunnery and torpedo schools except in the case of Royal Marines, who will be selected at R.M. Headquarters. 834. Signal History Sheet.-A signal history sheet, on form S. 1326, is to be provided for each signal rating when he first passes out of a signal school as a Signal Boy, and is to be kept attached to his service certificate. It is to show the opinion formed of the man's capabilities, both in the schools of instruction and in sea-going ships, and is to be the chief guide to officers in selecting a man for advancement or for training. 2. Acting Rating.-Whenever a man is given an acting signal rating, the fact is to be noted on his signal history sheet ; if the acting rate should cease before the man leaves his ship this is also to be noted. 3. Disposal on Discharge.-On a man being discharged to the shore, his signal history sheet is to be detached from his service certificate, and sent for custody to the signal school at the port division to which he belongs. If he should re-enter, it is to be obtained from the signal school, and again attached to his certificate. 4. W.T. History Sheet.-A Wireless Telegraphist's history sheet on form T.S. 83, is to be provided for each wireless telegraphy rating when he passes out of the harbour training service as Boy Telegraphist, and is to be treated generally in the same manner as the signal history sheet. On discharge to the shore it is to be sent for custody in the case of petty officers to the torpedo school at the port division to which they belong; in the case of ratings lower than Petty Officer Telegraphist it is to be sent to their depot. 835. Stoker's History Sheet.-A Stoker's history sheet on form S. 1322 is to be provided for each man on entry at a depot, and is to be kept attached to the service certificate. The stoker's history sheet is to show the man's previous departmental qualifications (including experience in running internal combustion engines, and stoking of small water-tube boilers), and the opinion formed of his capabilities, and is to be a guide to the officers who have to allocate men to their particular duties, or select them for advancement. 2. Auxiliary Watch Certificate.-A notation (Auxiliary Watch Certificate) is to be made on the history sheet in the case of stoker ratings who have undergone, to the satisfaction of the Engineer Officer, a course of instruction in auxiliary machinery and the engines and boilers of a vessel or picket boat with small tube boilers. 3. On the discharge of a Stoker 1st Class from a ship, if he is recommended for Acting Leading Stoker, a notation to that effect is to be made on his history sheet. 283 4. Recommendations for the rating of Yeoman of Stores are also to be noted on the history sheet. 5. Disposal on Discharge.-On a Stoker rating being discharged to the shore his history sheet is to be detached from his service certificate and sent for custody to the depot at the port division to which he is assigned. 836. Sick Berth Efficiency Certificate.-An efficiency certificate (form S. 457) is to be provided for each sick berth rating on entry, and is to be kept attached to the service certificate. The efficiency certificate is to contain a record of the man's professional qualifications and ability, which are to be entered annually on 31st December by the Medical Officer, and on a man's discharge from ship or hospital after not less than three months' service. 2. The efficiency certificate is to accompany a man to hospital when he is examined for advancement. On his discharge to shore it is to be detached from the service certificate, and sent for custody to the depot at the port division to which he is assigned. 284 ^ back to top ^ |
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