Question on Marines

[AThompson]

I have a question, or two on Marines (Royal or not).

1) Why were the Marines trusted so completely on board ship?

In a time where basically the average seaman was thought of, and treated as, scum, what was different about the Marines?

They guarded hatchways, guarded the captain's cabins, looked out for deserters, and were there to stop mutiny, but who's to say that the Marines wouldn't mutiny or desert?

2) where did the Marines mess and sleep? Where the part of the crew that messed between guns and slept in hammocks like the Hands?

3) I've read that they can haul on braces and work capstan, but other than that, what did the Marines do on voyages, was it purely as a guard? (Not counting the obvious fighting they'd do if a ship on ship action happened).

[Byron Angel]

John Harland's "Seamanship in the Age of Sail" covers the duties of the Marines aboard ship in some detail.

Byron

[Byron Angel]

John Harland's "Seamanship in the Age of Sail" covers the duties of the Marines aboard ship in some detail.

BTW, there was a distinct "professional hierarchy" among the crew. Experienced veteran seamen occupied a class well above that of the "common seamen"; they would be entrusted to go aloft and handle the topsails. The best of them would be assigned to handle the fore sails (so important in tacking the ship).

And a good helmsman was HIGHLY respected and valued.

Byron

[marcelo_malara]

This book has a chapter dealing with a discussion in the British Parliament about the origins of the Marines. Obviously they were intended of amphibious operations, and as such they needed both land warfare and sea training, the question was how much of each. It was argued that if they received full sea training they will end as ship´s crews, and theirs performance on land would be poor. So it was agreed they received the minimum sea training needed to stay at sea, and more on land warfare and in ship to shore movement. For sure they would not go to the yards.