THIS FILE HAS MANY STATISTICS OF GENERAL INTEREST TO ALL IN THE NAVY

A SNIPPET

Wrens first went to sea as members of the ship's company in the frigate HMS Brilliant, and I am sure that the Wrens did indeed think it was a brilliant idea after all the years the WRNS had served the navy and the country.  This was on the 8th October 1990 and this is a picture of those first Wrens who later were renamed as "female sailors RN".

By the 14th January 1991, the ship was involved in "Operation Granby" in the Gulf countering Saddam's Iraqi attack on Kuwait. Brilliant was one of 11 ships in the Armilla Patrol.  "Operation Granby" {named after the Marquess of Granby who led British forces during the 1759 Battle of Minden* during the Seven Years War} was the UK's name given to the period 1990-1991 in the Gulf areas, at a time when the USA called their involvement "Desert Shield" and "Desert Storm", led by that wonderful U.S., General Norman Schwarzkopf, known as 'Stormin Norman' or 'The Bear'. He was given the KCB by The Queen, an honour with few precedents. The next ship's to take females as crew were the carrier Invincible, followed by the frigate Juno, and then the frigate Battleaxe and by 1993, 490 women were in complement billets.

* Minden is in North Germany quite close to the Dutch Border and the battle was between the British and Germans versus the French and Saxons - we won and against greater numbers!  Who said that Germans were always baddies?

In 1992 female sailors shifted over to wearing R.N., gold lace and gold wire/red woven badges.

In 1997, Lieutenant Commander Vanessa Jane SPILLER Royal Navy was the first women to qualify as a PWO [U]. She went on to be the first woman to be appointed as the First Lieutenant [Executive Officer] of a major warship when she was appointed to the frigate HMS Kent in April 2001. She was promoted to Commander RN but resigned from the navy in 2007. This is her officer naval career:-

In April this coming year [2012] Commander Sarah West Royal Navy will become the Commanding Officer of the frigate HMS Portland, the first woman appointed to such a position. This is Sarah's officer career to date:-

She appears not to have had any frigate/destroyer experience and only three small sweepers, so to be given command of a frigate seems odd given my experiences.  Her break in service is probably the time she did her Honours Degree in Law. The BSc referred to above is from her time at Hertfordshire University where she read Mathematics, joining Dartmouth direct in 1995. She must have something special to be so favourably fast-tracked without first going through the 'mill' !

Katherine Louis Murray BABBINGTON joined the navy with a BSc degree and went to Dartmouth. She became famous in 1997 for being the first women to win the Queen's Sword at Dartmouth.  She had a very short career! This is her record:-

In 1998 the first female officers  were given Commands.

Lieutenant Melanie ROBINSON Royal Navy was given Command of HMS Express [43 tons] attached to Cardiff University

This is Melanie's record:-

and Lieutenant Suzanne Moore Royal Navy was given Command of HMS Dasher [43 tons] attached to Bristol University

This is Suzanne's record, and as I write, she is still serving. Given her seniority it rather looks as though she might be the First Lieutenant of the Portland, the ship which is soon to have the first female Commanding Officer:-  

In 2003, Lieutenant Charlotte ATKINSON was appointed in Commanding Officer of the sweeper Brecon, at that point the largest vessel commanded by a female. Brecon was based on Faslane.  She must be in zone for a third stripe and the diversity of her career is impressive.  This is Charlotte's record:-

In 2004, Captain Carolyn STAIT Royal Navy was promoted to Commodore and appointed as Naval Base Commander Clyde. She was the first female officer to attain this substantive rank. Carolyn was an officer with no sea experience {Dry List}. This is her record:-

Quite recently in September 1990 the Reverend Caroline Eglin [nee Pullman] was commissioned into the Royal Navy as the first women Chaplain.

Back in 1979, a major Fleet Establishment saw a woman appointed as First Lieutenant, the first female appointment ever made. She was a First Officer WRNS {two and a half stripes} and her name was Rosie Ball. I had the honour and privilege to be her Standing Officer of the Watch. This is a picture of those times

Nearly ten years later, First Officer WRNS Jane Salt was appointed as the First Lieutenant of Greenwich RN College, a much smaller outfit than a Fleet Establishment with over 100 acres and over a thousand people to look after. I am absolutely certain that had Rosie been younger and therefore in a different time period, she too would have reach the RN rank of Commander, just the same as Jane did, and I think beyond that rank too.  However, Rosie fell in love with a widower RN officer and left the Service to be a housewife. Jane had no sea experience and was promoted on the Dry List. This is her record:-

Jane Elizabeth Salt

Rank History

Commander Royal Navy 31|12|1994
Lieutenant-Commander Royal Navy|First Officer Women's Royal Naval Service 1|10|1986
Second Officer Women's Royal Naval Service 1|4|1977
 

Decorations and Post Nominals

psc
 

RN Branch Arm or Group (2007 style)

 

Branch and Specialisation (pre 2007 style)
 

Served in :

1998:	No officer service
1997:	Ministry of Defence, London
1996:	As above
1995:	As above
1994:	As above
1993:	As above
1992:	Royal Naval Staff Course, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London SE10 9NN
1991:	Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
1990:	Royal Naval College Greenwich, Central Support Staff
1989:	Royal Naval Staff Course, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London SE10 9NN
1988:	HMS COLLINGWOOD, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hants
1987:	No officer service
1986:	Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
1985:	As above
1984:	Centurion Building, Grange Road, Gosport, Hants
1983:	North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
1982:	Serving in a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) Appointment
1981:	No officer service

On the 15th October 1993, Commandant Anne Spencer, the last Director WRNS, retired and the post was abolished. She was succeeded by Captain Julia Simpson RN, with the title Chief Officer for Women in the Royal Naval Service who had been appointed to the post on the 12th March 1991: DCI[RN]259/93 refers. This is her record:-

Anne Christine Spencer

Rank History

Commandant, Women's Royal Naval Service 12|3|1991
Superintendent Womens Royal Naval Service 1|10|1986
Chief Officer Women's Royal Naval Service 1|10|1979
First Officer Women's Royal Naval Service 1|11|1972
 

Decorations and Post Nominals

ADC AMHCIMA psc
 

RN Branch Arm or Group (2007 style)

 

Branch and Specialisation (pre 2007 style)

{CM*}
 

Served in :

1994:	No officer service
1993:	Ministry of Defence, London
1992:	As above
1991:	As above
1990:	Flag Officer, Plymouth
1989:	NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institute) Headquarters
1988:	As above
1987:	As above
1986:	Ministry of Defence, London
1985:	As above
1984:	Ministry of Defence Naval Secretary
1983:	Naval Secretary
1982:	As above
1981:	Military Agency for Standardisation, Brussels
1980:	As above
1979:	Director General Naval Personal Services
1978:	Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, SE10
1977:	Defence Intelligence Staff
1976:	Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, SE10
1975:	As above
1974:	HMS PEMBROKE, Naval Base, Chatham, Kent
1973:	HMS PHOENIX, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth

By 1993, there were 490 women at sea in RN ships, but since the intention was 8000, there was a still a long way to go. In November 2011 the size of the navy excluding reserves but including women and Royal Marines was 36640 and dropping. This means that the aim is to have approximately 28000 naval male and Royal Marines with one seventh women . This table shows the state of play as at the 1 November 2011. The table below shows the percentages of women in each of the armed forces.

 

Table 2 - Strength of UK Armed Forces1 - full time trained and untrained personnel
As at 1 November 2011 the UK Armed Forces comprised 189,560 personnel of which 173,830 were trained and counted against the requirement. There were 13,990 untrained personnel.
		2009		2010		2011		2011			2011		2011		2011
		1 Apr		1 Apr		1 Apr		1 Aug			1 Sep		1 Oct		1 Nov
UK Armed Forces1		194 550		197 770	p	192 290	p	189 870	p		189 300	p	189 860	p	189 560
Trained and serving against requirement 2		174 170	||	177 840	p	176 810	p	175 200	p	||	174 450	p	174 020	p	173 830
FTRS serving against additional requirement		*		1 320	p	1 530	p	1 640	p		1 680	p	1 710	p	1 740
Untrained		20 380		18 610	p	13 950	p	13 040	p	||	13 160	p	14 120	p	13 990
UK Regular Forces3		188 600		191 660	p	186 360	p	184 030	p		183 440	p	184 010	p	183 710
Trained		168 510		173 260	p	172 580	p	171 170	p		170 460	p	170 060	p	169 770
Untrained		20 100		18 400	p	13 770	p	12 860	p		12 980	p	13 950	p	13 940
	Naval Service	38 340		38 730	p	37 660	p	37 040	p		36 800	p	36 760	p	36 640
	Trained	34 400		35 170	p	35 250	p	34 890	p		34 700	p	34 560	p	34 440
	Untrained	3 940		3 560	p	2 410	p	2 150	p		2 100	p	2 200	p	2 200
	Army	106 700		108 870	p	106 230	p	105 180	p		104 930	p	105 680	p	105 740
	Trained 4	94 870		97 980	p	97 270	p	96 540	p	||	96 180	p	96 110	p	96 070
	Untrained 4	11 830		10 900	p	8 970	p	8 640	p	||	8 740	p	9 560	p	9 670
	Royal Air Force	43 560		44 050	p	42 460	p	41 800	p		41 720	p	41 580	p	41 330
	Trained	39 240		40 110	p	40 070	p	39 730	p		39 570	p	39 390	p	39 260
	Untrained	4 320		3 940	p	2 400	p	2 070	p		2 150	p	2 190	p	2 070
Full Time UK Non-Regular Forces5		5 950		6 120	p	5 940	p	5 850	p		5 850	p	5 840	p	5 850
Trained		5 660		5 900	p	5 760	p	5 670	p		5 680	p	5 670	p	5 800
	Gurkhas	3 560		3 630	p	3 710	p	3 640	p		3 630	p	3 620	p	3 730
	FTRS serving against the requirement 2	2 100	||	960	p	520	p	390	p		370	p	340	p	330
	FTRS serving against additional requirement	*		1 320	p	1 530	p	1 640	p		1 680	p	1 710	p	1 740
Untrained		280		210	p	180	p	180	p		180	p	170	p	50
	Gurkhas	280		210	p	180	p	180	p		180	p	170	p	50
	FTRS6	*		*		*		*			*		*		*
Source: DASA (Quad-Service)
1.	UK Armed Forces comprises all UK Regular Forces and full time UK Non-Regular Forces but excludes mobilised reservists.
2.	Prior to 1 July 2009 figures include some FTRS personnel that were not deployable overseas. See Glossary for more details.
3.	UK Regular Forces comprises trained and untrained personnel. It does not include Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel and mobilised reservists.
4.	From 1 September 2011, the Army has changed its definition of 'trained Officer' to exclude those who have not yet passed Phase II training. This change brings it into line with the other Services.
5.	Full Time UK Non-Regular Forces comprises Gurkhas and Full Time Reserve Service Personnel (FTRS). Mobilised Reservists are not classed as Full Time UK Non-Regular Forces.
6.	For a reservist to serve full time they are required to be trained.
Data from the Joint Personnel Administration System for 2006 to 2009 have been reviewed and finalised, therefore some figures may differ from previous publications. As a result of improvements in the quality of data sourced from JPA and the monthly data validation processes, DASA consider all data from 1 November 2011 to be fit for purpose. Consequently data published from 1 November 2011 onwards are considered finalised and will no longer be marked as provisional. Please see the introduction for more details.

 

WOMEN IN THE ARMED FORCES BY PERCENTAGES AGAINST DATES WITH THE NAVY [WHICH INCLUDES MARINES] HAVING 8.6% AS AT 1 APRIL 2011. This is 8.6% of 36640 = 3151 women serving today.

Graph 3.1: Females as a percentage of strength by Service

AND THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE OF BLACKS AND MINORITY ETHNICS {BME} IN THE ARMED FORCES AGAINST DATES WITH THE NAVY HAVING 2% AS AT 1 APRIL 2011. This means that the Navy has a BME of 733 which, year on year, appears to be reducing.

 

Graph 3.2: BME personnel as a percentage of strength by Service

Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) percentage figures are based on those with a known ethnic origin.

 

Finally, as a light-hearted tease [all part of the Royal Navy] I will mention the Fleet Air Arms' attempt to 'Fight Tights'. As though losing the Tot issue wasn't bad enough in 1970, in 1975 the Navy decided to get rid of black nylon stockings for Wrens and in lieu to issue black tights. The infamous document conveying the edict was DCI T641/75 which said that the stockings [Vocabs 45500-05] were out and that BR81 and BR96 would be amended. This move had a profound affect upon the morale of the Fleet!