Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

  • Surface Fleet

  • Submarines

  • Royal Marines

  • Fleet Air Arm

• In Focus: Interwar

• In Focus: World War Two

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

Sea Service

Marines afloat

At the beginning of World War One the majority of Royal Marines were serving at sea. At this time every capital ship and cruiser of the Fleet included in its complement a wartime Royal Marine detachment.

The detachment usually had a gun crew in one of the main turrets and also manned a portion of the secondary armament. The Corps also provided men for Armed Merchant Cruisers and Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships.

By 1916 men of the Royal Marine Band Service manned all the Transmitting Stations (TS) in larger warships, which was a vital part of gunnery control.

HMS Lion hit on Q Turrett Destroyers taking up position in van to attack. (RNM)

Article highlights

• Marines afloat

• The Battle of Jutland

Follow the links to find more about -

• Sea service - the Battle of Jutland

• Amphibious raiders - Gallipoli and the Zeebrugge Raid

• Land service - the defence of Antwerp and the Western Front

• Flying Marines