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hmsloop_hotspur2019-02-24 05:56 pm
sharpiefan) wrote in hmsloop_hotspur2019-02-24 05:56 pm
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The Marines: Who They Are, and What They Do (A Photo-essay in Two Parts - Part Two)
Kinda wanted to continue from my previous entry on the Marines with a wee bit more of a photo-essay showing some of the duties of the Marines. Pics are mainly from the Hornblower series and film Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, with additional material from The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, To The Ends of the Earth and a documentary on Lord Nelson and Trafalgar.
The Duties of the Marines
To stand sentry on the magazine and various storerooms:
To stand sentry outside the Great Cabin:
(In all weathers!):
To turn the glass:
And strike the bell:
To stand sentry on the gangways (to prevent unauthorised access to the quarterdeck, for one, and to make the officer of the watch aware of the approach of any boats when at anchor, for two.)
To stand sentry at the quarterdeck steps (again, to prevent unauthorised access)
To protect landing parties and to discourage desertion from sailors:
To discourage mutiny/defend the ship:
For ceremonial guards-of-honour:
As sentries over prisoners in irons and to escort prisoners when required:
To escort prisoners for punishment:
To act as infantry in amphibious operations on land:
To secure the landing place when ashore in neutral or enemy territory:
To protect working parties ashore in hostile territory, and to discourage desertion:
To stand sentry on the companionways in action (preventing anyone escaping below and shirking their duty):
To help raise the anchor:
To provide small-arms fire in action:
And to help work the guns (see also previous picture!):
To stand sentry by the wheel (when the wheel was not directly outside the captain's cabin, in which case the cabin sentry would also provide security here):
To stand sentry at the scuttlebutt:
To beat to quarters:
To help at the braces, etc., on board ship, and to help with moving heavy equipment on land:
In very exceptional circumstances: To guard and escort the pressgang's catch - usually only when a 'hot press' was declared, as in the years 1793 and 1803.
Additional notes on uniform:
The Marines were awarded the title 'Royal' in 1803, after which the facings (collars, cuffs and shoulder-straps) of their jackets were allowed to be 'royal' blue, the same as the facings of Royal regiments in the Army, and the coats worn by officers in the Royal Navy. Prior to 1803, His Majesty's Marines wore white facings.
The colour of the trousers depended on the climate: in cold temperatures, such as around the coasts of England and Northern France, trousers were navy blue wool (seen in Loyalty and Duty). In tropical climates, trousers were white cotton drill or canvas (seen in all other Hornblower episodes and the film Master & Commander).
Gaiters - long spatterdashes worn to keep grit and sand from getting into the men's shoes - were worn either under or over the trousers. There seems to be little consensus on-screen as to which way they were worn, although from personal experience it is easier to wear them over trousers and then you don't risk standing on your trouser cuffs when going down the companionways of a ship. (I went to the Victorian Festival of Christmas in my reenactment gear as a Royal Marine some years ago.) Gaiters over trousers also cut out drafts in cold windy weather!
Have a bonus photo:
For the Navy Days in Portsmouth in 1930, the Royal Marines had a display of the 1805 Marines taking over the guard from the 1930 Marines. This is a photo of both groups - that is not necessarily HMS Victory in the background; she was still afloat in Portsmouth Harbour at the time! See them in action here.
The Duties of the Marines
To stand sentry on the magazine and various storerooms:
To stand sentry outside the Great Cabin:
(In all weathers!):
To turn the glass:
And strike the bell:
To stand sentry on the gangways (to prevent unauthorised access to the quarterdeck, for one, and to make the officer of the watch aware of the approach of any boats when at anchor, for two.)
To stand sentry at the quarterdeck steps (again, to prevent unauthorised access)
To protect landing parties and to discourage desertion from sailors:
To discourage mutiny/defend the ship:
For ceremonial guards-of-honour:
As sentries over prisoners in irons and to escort prisoners when required:
To escort prisoners for punishment:
To act as infantry in amphibious operations on land:
To secure the landing place when ashore in neutral or enemy territory:
To protect working parties ashore in hostile territory, and to discourage desertion:
To stand sentry on the companionways in action (preventing anyone escaping below and shirking their duty):
To help raise the anchor:
To provide small-arms fire in action:
And to help work the guns (see also previous picture!):
To stand sentry by the wheel (when the wheel was not directly outside the captain's cabin, in which case the cabin sentry would also provide security here):
To stand sentry at the scuttlebutt:
To beat to quarters:
To help at the braces, etc., on board ship, and to help with moving heavy equipment on land:
In very exceptional circumstances: To guard and escort the pressgang's catch - usually only when a 'hot press' was declared, as in the years 1793 and 1803.
Additional notes on uniform:
The Marines were awarded the title 'Royal' in 1803, after which the facings (collars, cuffs and shoulder-straps) of their jackets were allowed to be 'royal' blue, the same as the facings of Royal regiments in the Army, and the coats worn by officers in the Royal Navy. Prior to 1803, His Majesty's Marines wore white facings.
The colour of the trousers depended on the climate: in cold temperatures, such as around the coasts of England and Northern France, trousers were navy blue wool (seen in Loyalty and Duty). In tropical climates, trousers were white cotton drill or canvas (seen in all other Hornblower episodes and the film Master & Commander).
Gaiters - long spatterdashes worn to keep grit and sand from getting into the men's shoes - were worn either under or over the trousers. There seems to be little consensus on-screen as to which way they were worn, although from personal experience it is easier to wear them over trousers and then you don't risk standing on your trouser cuffs when going down the companionways of a ship. (I went to the Victorian Festival of Christmas in my reenactment gear as a Royal Marine some years ago.) Gaiters over trousers also cut out drafts in cold windy weather!
Have a bonus photo:
For the Navy Days in Portsmouth in 1930, the Royal Marines had a display of the 1805 Marines taking over the guard from the 1930 Marines. This is a photo of both groups - that is not necessarily HMS Victory in the background; she was still afloat in Portsmouth Harbour at the time! See them in action here.
no subject
And thank you, too, for the bonus photo and video!
no subject
I have over a decade of serious immersion in the Age of Sail fandom, and having been active in the Aubreyad/M&C part of that means you pick up a fair amount of knowledge of the Royal Navy, and of course my own particular interest is in the Royal Marines, so I've got stuff to share!!