London Gazette - Corps of Royal Marines - Organisation

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Corps of Royal Marines - Organisation

And whereas it has become necessary to make a redistribution of Your Majesty's Marine Force in consequence of the reduction of personnel ;

And whereas the Corps of Royal Marines is now divided into two branches known as the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry, with the Royal Marine Band Service (Royal Naval School of Music) supplementary thereto ;

And whereas by Her late Majesty's Order in Council bearing date the 21st day of March, 1862, the general list of Officers of the Royal Marines was divided into two separate lists, one composed of the Officers of the Royal Marine Artillery and the other of the Officers of the Royal Marine Light Infantry

And whereas by Your Majesty's Order in Council bearing date 3 December, 1920, the General Officers, Royal Marines, are already borne on one list common to the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry:

And whereas we have had under consideration the general organisation, training, and duties of the Corps, and the drafting and mobilisation arrangements, and consider that the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry should be amalgamated, and that certain changes should be made in the distribution of the Corps, and that its general training should be that of Infantry together with Naval Gunnery, specialist Officers and men being trained in the use of Land Artillery, Machine Gun, and in other specialist duties:

And whereas we consider that the titles �Gunner' R.M.A., and �Private' R.M.L.I. should be superseded by the title �Marine'

We beg leave humbly to recommend that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased, by Your Order in Council, to approve, with effect from the 22nd day of June, 1923, the proposals set forth in the accompanying Schedule.

The Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury have signified their concurrence in this proposal.

Schedule.

  1. The Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry to be amalgamated as one Corps with the title of �The Royal Marines' ; the Royal Naval School of Music to continue as at present.
  2. The Corps to be constituted and, for the present, to be distributed as follows :
    1. First Division, stationed at Chatham.
    2. Second Division, stationed at Portsmouth.
    3. Third Division, stationed at Plymouth.
    4. Depot, Royal Marines, stationed at Deal.
    5. Royal Naval School of Music, stationed at Portsmouth.
  3. The rates of pay, allowances, retired pay, pension, and gratuity, prescribed in existing Orders in Council for service in the Royal Marine Artillery and Royal Marine Light Infantry, will continue to be applicable on amalgamation and nothing in this Order shall prejudice the right of any Officer, Non-commissioned Officer, or man, to any pay, pension, or other emolument, earned prior to such amalgamation.
  4. Commissions issued to Officers in either branch of the Corps to be effective in the Corps as reconstituted.
  5. The title �Marine ' to be substituted for the titles `Gunner ' and ` Private.'
  6. Commissioned Officers, Commissioned Officers from Warrant Rank, and Warrant Officers, to be combined on one list according to the following rules:
    1. Commissioned Officers - (Direct Entries).
      1. According to rank by date of seniority; two or more Officers of the same date of promotion to be placed in order of date of entry into the Service; if still of the same seniority, to be placed in each batch in the proportion of one Royal Marine Artillery to three Royal Marine Light Infantry, the relative position of the two senior Officers of the batch being determined by age.
      2. The position of Officers of the rank of Captain, entered prior to 1907, who joined Greenwich together and underwent the same, examinations, to be determined by the result of the Greenwich and `Excellent' courses; otherwise as in (a) above.
      3. Officers entered subsequent to 1st January, 1912, to be placed in their original order before the lists were divided in 1920, and the senior Subalterns, Royal Marine Artillery, to be promoted at our discretion to Captains and replaced in their positions on the list.
      4. Quartermasters. According to dates of seniority.
    2. Commissioned Officers from Warrant rank and Warrant Officers. According to dates of seniority.