RNXS

The Royal Naval Auxiliary Service.

Maurice Gordon, ex C.P.O. Marine Engineer, Chatham Unit 1972 – 88

The Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS) was a uniformed, unarmed, civilian volunteer service, administered by the Royal Navy to operate in the ports and anchorages of the United Kingdom in times of emergency. It was formed in 1963 from the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Mine-Watching Service and the  Admiralty Ferry Crew Association in response to the perceived nuclear threat to British ports. Over 30 RNXS units were formed covering all coasts of Great Britain, including Shetland and the Channel Islands. [see Map, below]

The Minewatching Service had been formed in 1952 to man observation points overlooking ports and strategic waterways to report mines dropped by enemy aircraft. In many ways it paralleled the activity of the Royal Observer Corps, a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of hostile aircraft which operated between October 1925 and December 1995.

The new RNXS adopted the ensign of the Mine Watching Service. [see Headline picture]

Duties of the RNXS included assisting officers of the Naval Control of Shipping in forming convoys and, in the event of an attack on Britain, dispersing faster merchant ships to safer anchorages overseas.

They also patrolled ports and anchorages and inspected any suspicious vessels.

Personnel Those who served in the RNXS were volunteer reservists and are therefore veterans of HM Armed Forces. RNXS were divided into 'Afloat' and 'Ashore' sections, Afloat personnel manned the service's dedicated vessels and the Ashore personnel manned the Port Headquarters (PHQ) positioned in major ports around the United Kingdom. The Afloat section comprised seamen, engineers, and communications personnel, while the Ashore section consisted of communications, plotting and general duties staff.

All RNXS personnel were termed Auxilarymen, regardless of gender. Women volunteers served in all specialisations; thus RNXS had the first women serving at sea.

Volunteers came from many backgrounds; some were RN or Army veterans, others were retired from the Merchant Service but many were from a wide variety of civilian occupations, with no prior military experience but blessed with a sense of adventure and a wish to contribute to the national interest.

Pay RNXS volunteers received no pay, other than a small allowance for courses and exercises, which covered out of pocket expenses and 15 pence a mile for using private cars. They even had to buy their own food for sea time.

They were counted as uniformed civilians and not bound by Queens Regulations, so discipline was fairly laid back.

Vessels [see ship photos in gallery] Initially RNXS utilised the redoubtable Admiralty MFV's but in the mid-1960's, they were replaced by ten mothballed Ham Class Inshore Minesweepers: Birdham, Odiham, Pagham, Portisham, Puttenham, Saxlingham, Shipham, Shrivenham, Thakeham, and Tongham. These, in turn, were replaced in the 1980’s by ten 75 ft Loyal Class Fleet Tenders, subsequently augmented by four re-engined P2000 Archer Class Patrol Craft. RNXS craft were unarmed, with minesweeping equipment removed. Where their duties might involve boarding suspect vessels, Special Forces troops were embarked.

Craft were termed XSV and commanded by a Skipper (CPO equivalent) with a Mate (Petty Officer equivalent) as First Lieutenant. 

Similarly engineering specialists could advance to Chief Engineer (Charge ERA equivalent) and communications specialists could advance to Chief Communicator (PO Telegraphist/Radio Operator equivalent) and similar for Plotters. All specialists were trained in RN standards and procedures.

Uniforms In the early days, uniforms were heavy serge Civil Defence battledress. Officers’ braid was silver until RN uniforms were introduced in the late 1980’s. Command Naval Auxiliary Officer (4 rings), Area Naval Auxiliary Officer (3 rings), Port Naval Auxiliary Officer (2½ rings), Area Engineer Officer (2 rings) and Section Naval Auxiliary Officer (Heads of Unit) (1 ring).

Ratings Badges were red;  [see photo of Minewatching badge in Gallery]

N.X. (Naval Auxiliaryman), would have just the crossed sights on the right arm.

Q.N.X. (Qualified Naval Auxiliaryman)  would have the crossed sights on the right arm, with Branch Badge below: (Ships Wheel for Seamen, Propellor for Engineers, Wireless Wings for Communicators and Spidersweb/Radar Screen for Plotters), as appropriate.

L.N.X. (Leading Hand) would have the crossed sights with star above and branch below on the right arm and an anchor  on the left arm.

C.N.X. (Charge/Chief) would have a crown above the sights with branch below, plus a larger crown on the left arm.

Sea Time  RNXS craft were at sea most weekends for practical training. They participated in national and NATO exercises, as well as local and out-of-area training cruises, ranging from the Channel coast to Scapa Flow and have assisted in the clearance of oil pollution and Search and Rescue tasks. [see photos of Chief Mo in action]

Some exercises were more challenging than others. Maurice recalls one passage in XSV Thakeham from Chatham, aiming for Falmouth, which ran into very heavy weather in the Channel. As the bows dug into big waves, sea water entered through the forward deck hatch and down the hawse pipes into the chain locker. It also penetrated aft, possibly through loose propeller gland – remember these were old wooden hulls. The ship had left Chatham with one generator in bits but now the second one packed up, possibly throughwater contamination in the fuel supply, and the only electrical supply was the battery.

Free surface effect of the flooding below decks made the ship unmanageable in heavy cross seas. Radio messages were sent calling for Urgent Assistance and the crew mustered in the superstructure, preparing to abandon ship, but the RN did not have a surface ship within easy reach and the bad weather precluded launching a helicopter.

The vessel struggled on and eventually found shelter in Devonport, where they secured alongside a frigate. After prayerful thanks, 36 tons of sea water was pumped out of the hull and attempts were made to dry out and bring order below decks. Falmouth was forgotten and several days later, a chastened crew made an uneventful return to Chatham.

Endex RNXS was disbanded in March 1994 among other budget cuts by the Ministry of Defence. In 1990 over 3200 volunteers were serving in RNXS. The saving was a paltry £3.2 million but our nation lost trained personnel and a capability still needed in these uncertain times and challenging to re-activate.

Acknowledgements: Wikipedia for some background. Photos © Mo Gordon