Whether you are interested in the career of an individual Royal Marine or just want to know more about the part played by the British Marines in a particular battle or campaign, this book will point you in the right direction.
Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of the Royal Marines, their history or organisation, Richard Brooks and Matthew Little explain which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help you in your research. They also describe in vivid detail the evolution of the Royal Marines, from the tentative beginnings of the service in the seventeenth century to their present position as a key part of the British armed forces.
For a researcher eager to find out about the career of an individual marine, this readable and practical handbook will be necessary reading. It describes the resources available online and in the relevant archives and museums, it covers books and campaign histories, and is shows how these records can be used.
Contents:
Preface
Note on Military Ranks
Note on Weights, Measures and Currency
Acknowledgements
1. Organization: What is a Marine?
- Function and purpose of a marine
- Evolution of the Corps 1664-2008
- MARENS (the RM answer to Wrens)
- The Royal Marine Band Service and Royal Navy
- Ad hoc formations and detachments
- Associated regiments and corps
- Corps mythology
2. Administration: How Marines are Made
- Sources of manpower
- Terms of service
- Rewards and discipline
- Uniform and equipment
- Barrack life
- Training
- Going to sea
3. Operations: What Marines do
- At sea
- Ashore
- Combined operations
- Flying marines
- Casualties
- Termination of service
4. Sources: Where and How to Find Out about Marines
- How to trace your RM ancestor
- The internet
- Key repositories and how to access them
- Printed material and how to use it
- Register and service numbers
- Churches, cemeteries and memorials
- Problem areas
Appendix 1. Coded forms
Appendix 2. Abbreviations
Further Reading
