Royal Navy Auxiliary Service
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The Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS) was formed in 1963 from the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Minewatching Service
Royal Naval Minewatching Service
The Royal Naval Minewatching Service was a civilian organisation formed in 1952 as part of the auxiliary forces of the British Naval Service....
(RNMWS) and the Admiralty Ferry Crews Association, in response to the nuclear threat to British ports. The service was disbanded on 31 March 1994 due to defence cuts. Most vessels from its fleet were transferred to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
Men & women of the RNXS, or Auxiliarymen as they were known (regardless of gender), were to be readily available to assist in the tasks of evacuating major ports and dispatching larger and faster merchant vessels overseas in case of an attack on the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Any remaining ships were to be dispersed to safe anchorages along the coasts or at nearby islands. For these purposes, the RNXS operated a small fleet of inshore vessels which were prefixed XSV for Auxiliary Service Vessel. These were mainly surplus vessels converted from other duties, although 4 "P2000
Archer class patrol vessel
The Archer class is a class of patrol and training vessels in service with the British Royal Navy, commonly referred to as a Fast Training Boat.-History & operations:...
" tenders were custom built and are still in service, as commissioned warships (under the same names as their XSV days) as University Royal Naval Unit
University Royal Naval Unit
A University Royal Naval Unit is a Royal Navy training establishment connected to a university, or a number of universities concentrated in one area...
vessels.
The sailing of merchantmen overseas involved setting up assembly anchorages where ships might be formed into convoys, a naval escort or surveillance for information on routing, intelligence, and communications. Auxiliarymen were required at assembly anchorage control.
These tasks were not new, indeed they had been performed by naval and merchant naval personnel throughout the past centuries. The nuclear threat, however, had cut the time available to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and the Merchant Navy had to be developed or adapted to cope. Therefore the RNXS was formed.
Following the disbandment of the RNXS, the Maritime Volunteer Service
Maritime Volunteer Service
The Maritime Volunteer Service is a maritime training organisation and support emergency service in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1994 as a response to the disbandment of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service .Its stated aims are:...
was formed as a national maritime training organisation with charitable status. It has taken over and expanded many RNXS roles.
See also
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
- Royal Naval ReserveRoyal Naval ReserveThe Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
- Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
- Maritime Volunteer ServiceMaritime Volunteer ServiceThe Maritime Volunteer Service is a maritime training organisation and support emergency service in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1994 as a response to the disbandment of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service .Its stated aims are:...