There are many customs and traditions associated with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. These include formal customs including separate crests associated with ships, ensigns and fleet reviews. There are also several lees formal customs and traditions including Naval slang commonly referred to as Jack Speak and the traditional game of Ucker. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ...

Heraldry

Ensigns

Main article: British Naval ensigns

Commissioned ships and submarines wear the White Ensign at the stern whilst alongside during daylight hours and at the main-mast whilst under way. When alongside, the Union Jack (as distinct from the Union Flag, often referred to as the Union Jack) is flown from the jackstaff at the stem, and can only be flown under way either to signal a court-martial is in progress or to indicate the presence of an Admiral of the Fleet on-board (including the Lord High Admiral, the Monarch).^[1] The Blue Ensign. ... The White Ensign. ... Flag Ratio: 1:2 The Union Flag (also known as the Union Jack and Butchers Apron) is the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... First Navy Jack being raised on a jackstaff A jackstaff is a small vertical spar (pole) in the bow of a ship, on which a particular type of flag, know as a jack, is flown. ...

Ships badges

See also: Naval heraldry#Royal Navy

HMS Montrose

The Royal Navy assigns badges to every ship, submarine, squadron and shore establishment. Prior to the age of steam ships, ships were identified by their figurehead. With the removal of the figurehead, ships badges and mottoes were created to graphically represent the ships. The official process for creating the badge was initiated by Charles ffoulkes after World War I who was appointed as the Admiralty Advisor on Heraldry. Soon after his appointment The Ships Names and Mottoes Committee was established. The Naval Crown adorns the top of all the badges. The frame is gold rope. Originally, different classes of ships had different shapes, but currently all ships and submarines have a circular design. Shore establishments have an offset square design. It is the custom in navies of many countries for ships to receive an individually designed coat of arms. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The second and current HMS Montrose (F236) is the eighth of a sixteen ship class of frigates, known as Type 23 or the Duke class, of the Royal Navy. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ... Forecastle with figurehead Grand Turk Figurehead is a carved wooden decoration, often female or bestiary, found at the prow of ships of the 16th to the 19th century. ... Charles John ffoulkes (1868-1947) was a British historian, and curator of the Royal Armouries at London. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Fleet reviews

Main article: Fleet Review

The Fleet Review is an irregular tradition of assembling the fleet before the monarch. For example, at the most recent Review on 28 June 2005 to mark the bi-centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, 167 ships of the RN, and 30 other nations, were present. The fleet review in 2005 showed the marked contrast between the size of the Navy in 2005 compared to the last review in 1977. In total the Royal Navy had 67 ships on display, with the largest ship present being the French carrier Charles De Gaulle at over 200 feet longer than HMS Invincible.^[2] HMS Terrible at Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee Fleet Review in 1897. ... British tradition, where the monarch reviews the massed Royal Navy. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles de Gaulle (R91) is the only serving French aircraft carrier and is the flagship of the French Navy (Marine Nationale). ... The sixth and current HMS Invincible (R05) is a light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class. ...

Service nicknames

Nicknames for the service include "The Andrew" (of uncertain origin, possibly after a zealous press ganger^[3][4]) and "The Senior Service".^[5][6] It has also been referred to as the "Grey Funnel Line" in joking comparison with the commercial Blue Funnel Line. // A nickname is a name of a person or thing other than its proper name. ... Look up Impressment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Blue Funnel Line was founded by Alfred Holt on the 16 January, 1866. ...

Naval salute

Originally subordinates would uncover (remove their headgear) to a superior. In a book called New Art of War, printed in 1740, it is stated that;

When the King or Captain General is being saluted each Officer is to time his salute so as to pull off his hat when the person he salutes is almost opposite him.

Queen Victoria instituted the hand salute in the Navy to replace uncovering when she sent for certain officers and men to Osborne House to thank them for rendering help to a distressed German ship, and did not like to see men in uniform standing uncovered.^{[citation needed]} Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Osborne House and its grounds are now open to the public Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. // History The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. ...

The personal salute with the hand is borrowed from the military salute of the Army, and there are various theories concerning its origin. There is the traditional theory that it has been the custom from time immemorial for a junior to uncover to a superior, and even today men on Captain's Defaulters remove their hats. In this theory, the naval salute is merely the first motion of removing one's head dress. It was officially introduced into the Navy in 1890, but during the First World War a large number of old retired officers were in the habit of doffing their head gear instead of saluting, this, of course, being the method to which they were accustomed.

Another theory holds that in the age of sail, hemp ropes were preserved in tar, causing the sailor's hands to become stained. It would have been a discourtesy to show the dirty palm to one's superior, therefore the naval salute differs from the military salute in that it has the palm turned down, rather than outwards.^[7] The Royal Marines, with their military origin, use the military rather than the naval salute. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tar can be produced from corn stalks by heating in a microwave. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Affiliation

Ships will engage in a number of affiliations with cities, e.g. HMS Newcastle with Newcastle upon Tyne, elements of the other forces, e.g. HMS Illustrious with 30 Signal Regiment, schools, cadet units and charities. Every sea cadet unit in the UK has an affiliated ship, with the exception of Yeovil unit which, due to their location on RNAS Yeovilton, are affiliated with 848 Helicopter Squadron. This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... RNAS Yeovilton is an air station of the Royal Navy, sited a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset. ...

Naval slang

See also: Covey Crump

The RN has evolved a rich volume of slang, known as "Jack-speak". Nowadays the British sailor is usually "Jack" (or "Jenny") rather than the more historical "Jack Tar", which is an allusion to either the former requirement to tar long hair or the tar-stained hands of sailors. Nicknames for a British sailor, applied by others, include "Matelot" (pronounced matlow), derived from French or "Limey". Royal Marines are fondly known as "Bootnecks" or often just as "Royals".^[5] Commander A. Covey-Crump, Royal Navy (RN), a former Naval Assistant to the Chief of Naval Information, was responsible in the mid-1950s for compiling a record of naval slang. ... Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ... Jack Tar was the common Englishmans affectionate name for the sailors of the Royal Navy during the time of the British Empire. ... Three types of mariners are seen here in the wheelhouse: a master, an able seaman, and a harbour pilot. ... There are many alternative ways to describe the people of the United Kingdom (UK), though the official designated nationality is British. ...

Uckers and Ucker

Uckers is a four player board game similar to Ludo that is traditionally played in the Royal Navy. It is fiercely competitive and rules differ between ships and stations (and between other services). Ucker, pronounced you-ker, is a card game also played on board ships and in naval establishments. It is similar to Trumps, and is highly competitive and extremely difficult to learn. Uckers is a four player board game traditionally played in the Royal Navy. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... // For the game on The Price Is Right, see Card Game (pricing game). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Songs and marches

Main articles: Heart of Oak and Rule, Britannia!

There are several songs that are commonly associated with the Royal Navy including Heart of Oak and Rule, Britannia!. Heart of Oak is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. ... Rule, Britannia! is a patriotic British national song, originating from the poem Rule, Britannia by James Thomson, and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740. ... Heart of Oak is the official march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. ... Rule, Britannia! is a patriotic British national song, originating from the poem Rule, Britannia by James Thomson, and set to music by Thomas Arne in 1740. ...

Notes and references