The Mobilisation Division[1] was the former Directorate of the British Admiralty Naval Staff responsible for mobilisation requirements, manning and war preparation planning from 1912–1918.
The division was responsible for the mobilisation of active personnel, in addition to securing crews for all commissioned vessels including those in reserve. It also had to plan for and arrange the requisition of merchant vessels for the purpose of auxiliary purposes. It was also responsible for liaising with various mobilisation (naval employment offices) present all ports to process drafted conscripts. Other duties included the planning and projecting all manning requirements and securing available resources to meet those plans. During world war one in addition to its other duties, the Mobilisation Division was also charged with the responsibility for the supplying the fleet with fuel, from the Naval War Staff point of view.
Directors duties
As of 1917:
All points connected with mobilisation which are dealt with by members of the Board, are in the first instance to be referred to them for their consideration.
To prepare and keep correct to date, a complete all plans for mobilising the Naval forces of the Empire with the utmost possible rapidity, and with the least strain on the Admiralty.
To keep Commanders-in-Chief and Commanding Officers supplied, as may be directed, with all such important information as shall be considered by the Board likely to be of use in war.
Captain John W. L. McClintock, January 1912 - April 1914.
Captain Geoffrey Hopwood, May 1914 - April 1916.
Subordinate staff sections
A more detailed breakdown of the distribution of work allocated within the division to the various staff sections can be seen below.
As of 1917:[9]
Mobilisation
Section
Admiralty Room
Responsibility
HMOD
18 (III.)
The head of sub-division is responsible for general superintendence of work of Mobilisation Sections.
MO1
19 (III.)
Admiralty Representative on Navy Employment Agency, Control of all rail and road traffic in time of War, Mobilisation arrangements as regards Personnel of Fleet, Mobilisation questions raised by the Mobilising Committees at the Ports, Preparation for Peace Manœuvres.
MO2
19 (III.)
Preparation of Monthly Mobilising List of Officers.
Manning
Section
Admiralty Room
Responsibility
HMAD
32 (III.)
The head of sub-division is responsible for general superintendence of work of Manning Sections,
MA3
31 (III.)
Manning requirements and resources, Secure and make ready arrangements for War Staff.
MA4
31 (III.)
Preparation of reports on the number of officers and men available for manning.
References
^Lambert, Nicholas A. (2002). Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution:Abbreviations. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. XV. ISBN9781570034923.
^Kennedy, Paul (24 April 2014). The War Plans of the Great Powers (RLE The First World War): 1880-1914. Routledge. p. 128. ISBN9781317702528.
^Black, Nicholas (2009). The British naval staff in the First World War (1. publ., transferred to digital pr. ed.). Woodbridge: Boydell Press. p. 155. ISBN9781843834427.
^Mackie, Colin. "Senior Royal Navy Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gulabin, p.49, January 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
^Archives, The National. "Duff Service Record". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, ADM 196/43, f80. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
^Archives, The National. "Sinclair Service Record". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, ADM 196/43, f368. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
^Archives, The National. "Culme-Seymour Service Record". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, ADM 196/43, f477. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
^"British Military lists : Navy lists,1913 to 1921, 1944-1945". National Library of Scotland. p. 582. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
^Marder, Arthur J. (31 March 2014). From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: Volume IV 1917, Year of Crisis. Seaforth Publishing. p. 222. ISBN9781848322011.
Attribution
Primary source for this article is by Harley Simon, Lovell Tony, (2016), Mobilisation Department (Royal Navy), dreadnoughtproject.org, http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org.
Sources
CB1515(50) [later OU 6171/31] The Technical History and Index (Part 50): Mobilisation of the Fleet. Demobilisation Records, 1918–19, written by the Mobilisation Department of the Admiralty, January 1921.
Archives, The National. "Records of Naval Staff Departments", discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives, 1912-1964.
Black, Nicholas (2009). The British Naval Staff in the First World War. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. ISBN9781843834427.
Hamilton C. I. (2011) The Making of the Modern Admiralty: British Naval Policy-Making, 1805–1927, Cambridge Military Histories, Cambridge University Press, ISBN978-1139496544.
Mackie, Colin, (2010-2014), British Armed Services between 1860 and the present day — Royal Navy - Senior Appointments, http://www.gulabin.com/.
Rodger. N.A.M., (1979) The Admiralty (offices of state), T. Dalton, Lavenham, ISBN978-0900963940.