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THE ROYAL NAVY The Senior Service.
Although the Greeks and Romans had ships designed for war, when King Alfred formed the first Royal fleet, ships were just normal seagoing vessels operated by sailors to carry fighting men. By the 18th Century, specialist fighting ships had evolved which, although crewed by Royal Naval personnel, carried fighting men who were by now from Infantry Regiments of the Line, allotted for sea going service as and when required. As armaments improved and fighting took place at greater distances the sailors manned the guns as well as crewing the ships.

THE ROYAL MARINES
Has a history dating back to ‘The Lord High Admiral’s Regiment’ formed in 1664.but this only lasted for a few years. A number of ‘Maritime Regiments’ were raised and disbanded or designated as Regiments of the Line. From 1755 permanently established Companies of Marines were raised which became the Royal Marines in 1802. The Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry were formed in 1855 and, in the 1922 reductions; they reverted to the title of The Royal Marines. Today’s ceremonial uniform reflects the previous titles in the blue uniform of the Artillery and the carrying of Infantry Colours.

THE UNITED STATES NAVY
Formed in 1775, these show today’ sailors in Dress Blues and Dress Whites

The UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, older than the Republic itself by a year, is as familiar to the average American as the Flag itself. Smart and good at drill, they perform a unique ceremonial role in Washington DC and are the President’s musicians. The marines are, as they say, looking for a few good men- however their ranks now also include women. The Marines is a separate Service, under the Department of the navy, a status that the Corps has sustained since Samuel Nicholas, the first Marine officer, took up his commission in 1775 during the Revolutionary War. Since 1801 the headquarters of the USMC is the barracks at 8th & I Streets, Washington, DC, where, every Friday evening from mid May to mid September the ceremony of The Evening Parade is performed against the historic background. The distinctive Navy Blue jacket worn as apart of the full dress uniform has a unique history. In the formative years of the United States the marines used captured British jackets, which were red with blue linings and, by turning the jackets inside out, they now had a blue jacket with red facings, a feature that is carried over to the present day. The red stripe on the blue trousers, worn only by full Corporals and above, is in fact a battle honour awarded to non-commissioned officers after the Battler of Chapultec in 1840 to commemorate the blood shed in the Battle.