Regulations Regarding the Entry of Naval Cadets into the Royal Navy

Circular No. 288

(Naval Cadets—Midshipmen, &c.)

 Admiralty, 23rd February, 1857.

The Lords Commissioners of tbe Admiralty have established the following Regulations for the Entry of Naval Cadet, and for the Examination of Mates, Midshipmen, Naval Cadets, &c.,which will come into operation in May next, instead of those now in force.

To qualify an officer to receive a Lieutenant's Commission he must have attained the full age of 19 years, and have been borne on the Books of, and actually served in, one or more of Her Majesty's Ships not less than five complete years, eighteen months as a Cadet and three years and six months as a Midshipman, and shall have passed such Examinations as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty may from time to time direct.

I. No Person will be nominated to a Cadetship in the Royal Navy who will be under 13, or above 15 years of age at the time of Examination [See Circular 393 below].

II. Every Candidate, on obtaining a nomination, will be required to pass an Examination at the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth, within three months of nomination.*

III. The Candidate must produce a Certificate of Birth, or Declaration thereof made before a Magistrate.

IV. The Candidate must be in good health and fit for the Service, that is, free from impediment of speech, defect ol vision, rupture, or other physical inefficiency.

V. Candidates, between the ages of 13 and 14, will be required—

1. To write English correctly from Dictation, and in a legible hand.

2. To read, translate, and parse an easy passage either from a Latin or French Author.

N.B.—The aid of a Dictionary will be allowed for these Translations.

And to have a satisfactory knowledge of

3. The leading facto of Scripture and English History,

4. Modern Geography, in so far as relates to a knowledge of the prinoipal Countries, Capitals, Mountains, and Rivers. To be able to point out the position of a place on a map when its Latitude and Longitude is given.

5. Arithmetic, including Proportion, and a fair knowledge of Vulgar and Decimal Fractions.

6. Algebra, including Fractions.

7. The First Book of Euclid to Proposition XXXII.

Candidates above the age of 14, in addition to the Examination required for those between the ages of 13 and 14 must have a knowledge of—

1. The use of the Globes, with correct definitions of Latitude, Longitude, Azimuth, Amplitude, and the other Circles of the Sphere.

2. Vulgar and Decimal Fractions.

3. Algebra, including Simple Equations.

4. The First Book of Euclid.

5. A practical knowledge of the Elements of Plane Trigonometry, and its application to the Numerical Solution of Easy and Useful Problems.

As Drawing will prove a most useful qualification for Naval Officers, it is recommended that Candidates for the Service should be instructed therein.

VI. If the Candidate succeeds in pausing the required Examination, he will be at once appointed to a Training Ship at Portsmouth or Devonport, for a period of not less than three months, for the purpose of instruction in the subjects contained in Sheet No. I, as well as in the Rigging of Ships, Seamanship, the use of Nautical Instruments, &c.

VII. Quarterly Examinations will be held on board the Training Ship, when any Cadet, who may consider himself competent, may be examined in the subjects contained in Sheet No. 1, also, in the course of instruction, in the Rigging of Ships, Seamanship, &c., and if found qualified he will be appointed to a sea-going Ship.

VIII. If the Cadet does not pass the required Examination according to bis age, before or at the quarterly Examinations after his entry into the Training Snip, as below specified, he will be finally rejected from the Service.

Naval Cadetships Allowed to Flag Officers and Captains

 Admiralty, May 12th, 1857.

Every Flag Officer on hoisting his Flag shall be allowed two nominations for Naval Cadets.

Every Captain appointed from Half-Pay to command a Ship newly commissioned may nominate a Naval Cadet.

If an Officer, appointed to command a Ship newly commissioned, be an Officer already on Full-Pay afloat, and be transferred from another Ship for which he had already received a nomination, he shall not be entitled to nominate another Cadet, but the nomination shall be given to his successor in the other Ship, provided such successor be an Officer from Half-Pay, or an Officer who, if serving, has not already received a nomination.

The Permanent Harbour Flag Ships at the Ports are to be allowed a nomination for a Cadet every three years, after being paid down and recom miss ion ed, and the nomination shall be given to the Captain then serving.

Captains from Harbour Guard Ships, appointed to sengoing Ships newly commissioned, may be allowed a nomination in the same manner as Officers from Half-Pay, and not otherwise.

No nominations are allowed on commissioning the 'Excellent,' 'Victoria and Albert,' Steam Guard Ships, Training Ships, or Coast Guard Ships.

Admirals superintending Dockyards, and Officers appointed to stationary ships abroad, are not entitled to nominations.

Exceptional cases, not provided for in the foregoing rules, should be referred for the decision of the Board.

 Admiralty,29th February, 1866.

Commodores of the First Class, when not Commanders-in-Chief, to be allowed one nomination.

Memorandum

 Admiralty,30th August, 1858.

Candidates for Naval Cadetships will be allowed a second examination, although at the time of such second examination they may exceed the age of 14 years.

Memorandum

 Admiralty,10th December, 1863.

The non-appearance of a Candidate for a Naval Cadetsbip of the first or second class, or for an Assistant Clerkship, on the first examination-day after his nomination will be considered as a rejection (except in cases of medically certified ill-health); but tbe Candidate may present himself on the following examination-day. Should he again not appear, or fail to pass the examination, he will be finally rejected.

Regulations for the Entry and Examination, of Naval Cadets

 Admiralty, 6th February, 1865.

I. No person will be nominated to a Cadetship in the Royal Navy who shall be under 12 or above 14 years of age at the time of his first Examination.

II. Every Candidate, when nominated, will be required to pass au Examination at the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth, on the first Examination day after his nomination.

N.B.—The Examinations take place on the first Wednesday in the months of April and December, and on the third Wednesday in the month of August,

III. The Candidate must produce a Certificate of Birth, or Declaration thereof made before a Magistrate.

IV. The Candidate must be in good health and fit for the Service, that is, free from impediment of speech, defect of vision, rupture, or other physical inefficiency.

The Candidate will be required—

1. To write English correctly from dictation, and In a legible hand.

2. To read, translate, and parse a passage from French, or from some other Foreign Living Language,

N.B.—The aid of a Dictionary will be allowed for these Transitions. And to have a satisfactory knowledge of—

3. The leading facts of Scripture and English History.

4. Modern Geography, in so far as relates to a knowledge of the principal Countries, Capitals, Mountains, and Rivers, To be able to point out the position of a place on a map when its Latitude and Longitude are given,

5. Arithmetic, including Proportion, and a fair knowledge of Vulgar and Decimal Fractions.

6. A knowledge of the Definitions and Axioms of the First Book of Euclid.

Should a Candidate be able to speak French or any other Foreign Living Language, it will be noted in his favour, and as Drawing is a most useful qualification for Naval Officers, it is recommended that Candidates for the Service should be instructed therein.

V. If the Candidate be found not qualified at his First Examination, he will be allowed a second trial on the next Examination day at the Royal Naval College. Should he not pass this Second Examination, he will he finally rejected.

VI. If the Candidate succeed in passing the required Examination he will be at once appointed to a Training Ship for the purpose of instruction.

VII. Lists of Books, Instruments, Clothing, &c, required while in the Training Ship, will be sent to the successful Candidates.

VIII. Periodical Examinations will be held on board the Training Ship, and if a Cadet he found not to have made sufficient progress, or if, by indifferent conduct or idle habits on board the Training Ship, he shall show his unfitness for the Service, it will be the duty of the Captain to make a Special Report thereof to the Admiralty, in order that the Cadet may be at once removed from the Navy,

IX. After having completed 18 months' instruction, exclusive of vacations, in the Training Ship, a Cadet will have to undergo the final examination. Should be be found qualified he will be granted a Certificate to that effect, and be appointed to a Sea-going Ship. Should he be found not qualified, he will be discharged.

N.B.—In the case of a Candidate nominated to a First Class Cadetship, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, as a native of one of the Colonies, he will be Examined in the first instance on board the Senior Officer's Ship on tbe station, and will then he required to join the Training Ship in England, as in the case of other Cadets. It is, however, to be fully understood that arrangements must be made for his lodging and maintenance during the vacations (6 weeks at Midsummer, and A weeks at Christmas'), during which periods he will not be permitted to remain in the Britannia.