Service Number - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

Soldiers in the British Army are given an eight-digit number, e.g. 25232301. Prior to 1920 each regiment issued their own service numbers which were unique only within that regiment, so the same number could be issued many times in different regiments. When a serviceman moved, he would be given a new service number by his new regiment. Commissioned officers did not have service numbers until 1920. The modern system was introduced by Army Order 338 in August 1920. Numbers were then a maximum of seven digits, later groups of numbers up to eight digits were added.

For Example

Royal Army Service Corps 1 to 294000

Lancers 309001 to 386000

Royal Corps of Signals 2303001 to 2604000

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 16000001 to 16100000

Until 1960, National Servicemen who voluntarily remained in the Armed Forces continued to use their National Service numbers. Until 2007 and the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, Army Officers were issued with a six-digit service number. Newly commissioned officers now receive an 8-digit service number, but 6-digit Officers' numbers issued prior to the introduction of JPA remained unchanged. All Service Numbers were re-termed "employee numbers" under JPA.

In the Royal Navy, prior to the introduction of JPA, service numbers were also of eight digits, but began and ended with a letter, depending initially on the depot where the sailor was recruited. The first letter designators were: P (Portsmouth), C (Chatham), and D (Devonport), with the final letter being a meaningless checksum. Later, the designators were re-assigned and were used to distinguish between men and women within the Royal Navy as well as to distinguish between Officers and Ratings. A service number beginning with D designated a Royal Navy male Rating, W a Royal Navy female Rating, C male Officers, and V female Officers. P designated a Royal Marines Other Rank, while N a Royal Marine Officer. Following the introduction of JPA, all newly issued Royal Navy service numbers became an 8-digit number format beginning with 3, with no distinction made between male, female, Ratings, Officers, and Royal Marines.