What's the difference between the Navy & the Marines?

[peapod]

Hi,
I'm new to any kind of military history and wondered if any one can help me with what is probably a really silly question. What is the difference between the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines?

My GG Grandfather FRED GIBSON has Royal Marine listed as his occupation on his marriage certificate in 1901. I think I've found the right man in the 1901 census at ROYAL MARINE BARRACKS EAST STONEHOUSE. The enumerator has all the men listed as Navy Men. So is there a difference between the two?

[Peter Goodey]

"Navy men" is written in a different hand, perhaps by a clerk back in the office. It looks as if he was trying to distinguish between officers and men, not between the services, but still made a bit of a hash of it.

Your man is shown as a private which is not a naval rank. I think you can be pretty sure he was in the Marines. You may find it interesting to wind back and look at the start of the book.

[Geoffers]

I'm new to any kind of military history and wondered if any one can help me with what is probably a really silly question. What is the difference between the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines?

The Royal Marines is a corps of soldiers who are carried on ships and trained to fight on land and at sea.

The Royal Navy consists of a lot of sailors who travel around in warships of varying size.

[Peter Goodey]

...and nobody has ever popularised the greeting "Hello, marine!"

[peapod]

Thanks to you both, I now understand.
Regards peapod.

[peter nicholl]

Hi peapod
Both the Royal Marines and the Royal Navy come under the authority of the Admiralty and not what in the past would have been the War Office.
Try the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney, Portsmouth. Until their amalgamation there were two branches of the Royal Marines; Royal Marines Light Infantry and Royal Marines Artillery.
Geoffers is nearly right about the Royal Navy, as well as travelling around in warships (and boats incidentally) they also have fought on land, see Naval Brigade. Anyone who has seen the Royal Tournament should remember the Field Gun Interport Competition, started in 1907 as a rerun of the Naval Brigade's action in the Boer War in 1899.
Peter

[Mike_E]

I don't know if I'm remembering something incorrectly, but on the old wooden ships of Nelsons era, didn't the Marines man the guns on one side of the ship, and the Navy (ie Hello Sailor) man the other side?

Or have I got mixed up in my old age?

[Geoffers]

Geoffers is nearly right about the Royal Navy, as well as travelling around in warships (and boats incidentally) they also have fought on land, see Naval Brigade. Anyone who has seen the Royal Tournament should remember the Field Gun Interport Competition, started in 1907 as a rerun of the Naval Brigade's action in the Boer War in 1899.

How could I forget, my gt-grandfather E.E.Lowe was a Gunner in the RN and landed with the Naval Brigade in the South Afrcian War - he was the first recipient of the CSC (now DSC) for doing his bit. Perhaps I should have said that generally they travel about in warships; with the occasional foray onto land for war, wine, women, etc, etc

[peapod]

Peter Nicholl you've now confused this military Newbie!

So both the Navy & Marines fought at sea & on land but only the Navy were sailors?

Does that mean that you could get a ship/boat with only navy men on board but you'd never get a ship with just marines on as they wouldn't know how to sail it!

The museum, might be worth a visit in the future if I ever find out more about what Fred Gibson actually go up to in the marines.

Thanks for the info.
peapod.

[peter nicholl]

I don't know if I'm remembering something incorrectly, but on the old wooden ships of Nelsons era, didn't the Marines man the guns on one side of the ship, and the Navy (ie Hello Sailor) man the other side?

Or have I got mixed up in my old age?

Heaven preserve us from Pongoes and Crabs

The sailors wore blue and worked the ship, including the guns, both sides.
The Marines wore red and used muskets/rifles.
peapod, think sailors, think "The Battle of the River Plate", "Above us the Waves". And your idea of who can fight and who can sail is about right.
Think Marines, think of a Commando The RM Museum is also on-line.
Peter