The Admiralty Ferry Crew Service was a civilian organisation formed during

World War Two World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

as part of the auxiliary forces of the British Naval Service. The

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...

requisitioned large numbers of small craft of different types to assist the naval war effort including trawlers, launches, fleet tenders and motor fishing vessels. Other craft were built to order. In 1942 Lt/Comdr. C.D. Barber, under the direction of Admiral Sir Lionel Preston, K.C.B, Director of the Small Vessels Pool, began enlisting experienced sailors, engineers and others who could not otherwise be accepted for war service, including some volunteers over 70. These men formed crews of six or eight, collected craft from shipyards and delivered them to naval bases around the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Direct voyages further afield were also undertaken, including to

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

, the

Faroes The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway betw ...

and

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, while vessels destined for the Far East were delivered to ports such as

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

for onward transport. The Service numbered roughly 1,600 personnel and moved approximately 1,020 vessels. At the end of the war, members formed the Admiralty Ferry Crew Association, to hold reunion dinners. The Association was encouraged by the Admiralty to maintain a list of experience sailors, engineers and other crew who could be of use in an emergency. In 1963 the Association was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Minewatching Service to form the

Royal Naval Auxiliary Service The Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS) was a uniformed, unarmed, civilian volunteer service, administered and trained by the Royal Navy to operate in the ports and anchorages of the United Kingdom in an emergency. Although the abbreviated title w ...

. The Association membership was reclassified as List III of the new service, though this separate element was disbanded in 1971. The RNXS was itself disbanded in 1994. The

Maritime Volunteer Service The Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS) is a United Kingdom wide charity (Charity No: 1048454 SCO No: SC039269 Registered Company No: 3003565), which has as its motto: "Supporting YOUR Community with OUR People" (strapline updated February 2021 f ...

, a maritime skills and training charity, was formed in the same year by former members of the RNXS and others.

References

Royal Navy {{UK-navy-stub