Royal Navy WW2 CFB Ancona

[Peter Harvey]

I would appreciate any thoughts or help with the attached.

Christmas 44 Airgraph addressed from: LT/JX331150 D A Leitch Mess 410 CFB Ancona Italy.

My understanding was that the JX in an RN service number referred to a rating on long service, so I am a little confused by the LT/ at the start of the service number.

Additionally, would/could CFB Ancona, be Canadian Forces Base, or Combined Forces Base.

Thank you

[Philip Kaye]

Peter,
As a result of information kindly provided to me last month by Colin Tabeart, I can confirm he was a long service rating. The "J" indicates he was from the Seamen and Communications branch (as opposed to Engineers etc.). The "LT" indicates his Home Port Division was Lowestoft.
Cheers,
Phil

[Peter Harvey]

Hi Phillip, thank you that is really helpful and encouraged me to 'google' some more and I found the below:


Prefix Letters
Home Port Divisions
C Chatham
D Devonport
P Portsmouth
LT Lowestoft (W)
R Rosyth (W)
Overseas Port Divisions:
E Malta
GOA Goa
A Alexandria (W)
Fleet Air Arm FAA (W)
L Lee-on-Solent

Main Letters
Long Service
(12 years plus optional 10 years to qualify for pension)
J Seamen and Communications
K Stokers and Mechanicians
L Officers' Stewards, some Officers' Cooks
M Others -Artificers, Electrical, Supply etc
N NAAFI staff (W)
F Fleet Air Arm
Short Service
(7 years plus 5 years on Reserve)
SS Seamen and Communications
SK Stokers
SM Miscellaneous
SF Fleet Air Arm
Examples

C/JX - Long service seaman from Chatham Port Division
D/SKX - Short service stoker from the Devonport Port Division
P/M - Long service, miscellaneous rating from the Portsmouth Port Division, who engaged before the new pay code into use.
Royal Marines

Some Royal Marine numbers had prefix letters as shown below (e.g. PO/1327) and sometimes there was a letter after the number indicating their trade .

(W) - World War 2 only

CH Chatham Group
PLY Plymouth Group
PO Portsmouth Group
EX Exton (W)
RMB Royal Marine Bands
Royal Marine Police guarding dock yards and depots had group prefixes as shown above with main letters "RMP" (eg. PO/RMP12345).

[Peter Harvey]

In response, I also received the below note from Nick Colley, thank you.

Coastal Forces Base, I think: MTBs, MLs, MGBs, possibly some minesweepers as well. There may be something in Roskill about it, but being on the east coast, it would be a good place from which to support the Yugoslavian partisans.