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NAP/R prefix on WW2 navy service number

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Maggietess

Maggietess Report 2 Dec 2014 20:57

Hi, can anyone shed any light on this prefix?

Also, the service number is 6 digits, am I right in understanding this was an officer number assigned during ww2? Is there a list of dates associated with these numbers?

Thanks so much for any pointers!

was plain ann now annielaurie

was plain ann now annielaurie Report 2 Dec 2014 23:28

Can you give us his name and number, please?

Andysmum

Andysmum Report 3 Dec 2014 16:41

It is not a recognisable RN No. but may of course be a Merchant Navy one.

RN Officers had no numbers until the early 1980's, when computerisation made them necessary. They were all prefixed C.

Ratings' numbers were all 6 figures with various prefixes, which could change during the course of his career. The last letter of the prefix was usually C - Chatham, D - Devomport, P - Portsmouth or F - Fleet-Air-Arm.

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 4 Dec 2014 20:02

Is this to do with the man in your other thead, or someone different?
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/military_chat/thread/1347224

Maggietess

Maggietess Report 4 Dec 2014 22:44

Yes it is. I got lots of helpful advice from it but it seems we may remain in the dark about bits as apparently we have all the records at Kew that we can get access to "at this time". I have a lovely profile of most of his service now but the first bit appears to be being kept confidential for another few years.

I'd love to solve the NAP prefix as that's the bit I still don't understand what it is. It may help explain why we don't have access to the earlier records if it explains the sort of role he had.

Thanks!

MargaretM

MargaretM Report 5 Dec 2014 10:39

NAP
Naval Auxiliary Patrol

From this site:

http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1005-Abbreviations.htm

Maggietess

Maggietess Report 8 Dec 2014 17:58

That's great, thanks so much for that.

Allan

Allan Report 8 Dec 2014 22:44

These may help with an explanation


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_Patrol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_Patrol_Service

The first article relates mainly to WW1, the second to WW2

Maggietess

Maggietess Report 9 Dec 2014 09:44

Thank you for this. I think the second world war part sounds very like what we understood he was doing as part of merchant navy. So this makes sense. Thanks

Allan

Allan Report 9 Dec 2014 10:05

I hope they helped, Maggietess :-)

Allan