COMPLEMENT

Each Waterguard Division, District, Port and Creek had a theoretical staff complement at each grade. In practice this staffing level was rarely met.

Following Lord Goschen's report of 1891, the Waterguard was reorganised with the complement above. However the Waterguard was not yet a complete entity as only the seven larger ports had Chief Preventive Officer posts, in the remaining ports Preventive Staff were under the supervision of the local Landing Surveyors and Landing Officers.

RANKS & GRADING

Waterguard staff were employed at various ranks, the nomenclature of some of which were the subject of change over time. In order of seniority they were:

• Inspector / Inspector General of Waterguard
• Deputy Inspector General of Waterguard
• Assistant Inspector of Waterguard
• Higher Waterguard Superintendent
• Waterguard Superintendent
• Deputy Waterguard Superintendent
• Waterguard Surveyor / Assistant Waterguard Superintendent
• Senior Boatman / Chief Preventive Officer
• Preventive Officer
• Boatman / Preventive Man / Assistant Preventive Officer
• Coast Preventive Man & Land Preventive Man

In addition, whilst not strictly part of the Waterguard, there were:

• Land Preventive Men

They were part of the Outdoor Service Management structure in Northern Ireland and responsible to the Landing & Shipping officers at the border posts established after 'Partition' in 1923. LPMs challenged and searched all vehicles and trains, their drivers and passengers entering Northern Ireland via the 'approved' border crossing points.

• Launch Crew - Mates-in-Charge, Engineer Mechanics 1 & 2 and Deckhands.

The Launch Service was part of C&E HQs Technical Branch, but the day to day management of the launches and their crews of professional seamen, was laid to the Waterguard stations they operated from.

• Watchers

• Waterguard Auxiliaries

Known in some South Coast ports as 'Waterguard Hairies'  - they were employed in the mid-nineteen sixties to make up for the shortfall in numbers of Preventive Staff during the busy summer periods. They were recruited from amongst retired Civil Servants and Local Government Officials and employed under the Extra Man arrangements. They had no 'curl' on the insignia on their battledress style uniform - 'Hairies' - and were not issued with Commissions.

They were given relatively menial tasks in support of PO's and APO's in the baggage halls at ports and airports. Tasks such as 'exit duties' or checking inward passengers against Suspect Lists - usually alongside a PO - others were used at the ferry ports to physically stop outbound cars for currency questioning.

• Women Search Officers - WSOs

DETACHED DUTY

Newly appointed and newly promoted officers would normally be sent to their first posts on Detached Duty terms - either a fixed term of less than 12 months or an indefinite period of up to 12 months - before being appointed to, or securing, a fixed station.

Detached duty terms attracted travel expenses to and from the detached duty station and either a lodging allowance or subsistence allowance was paid. Higher rate subsistence allowance was paid for the first 30 days, then the lower lodging allowance was paid whilst the officer was still in lodgings or other temporary accommodation as the officer was expected to have found more reasonable accommodation after 30 days!

PERMANENT TRANSFER

Assistant Preventive Officers and above were 'mobile grades' - that is they were required and expected to work anywhere in the Country. However it was to the Department's advantage that officers were 'fixed' in particular posts. They gained experience and acquired knowledge of the trades particular to a port or post and acquired the skills and specialization that work in that particular port or post required - rummage of vessels and clearing passengers baggage for example. It was also cheaper!

When, on occasion, it was in HMC&E's interest to move an officer, the transfer was on 'Crown removal' terms - the Crown paid. Notwithstanding that, after a certain time of being 'fixed' in a post, normally 5 years, officers were permitted to transfer to another at their own expense. Under certain circumstances these transfers also attracted 'Crown removal' terms.

STAFF ROSTERS

At the larger Ports, most staff worked 'shifts' - on a roster based on days, evenings and nights of 8 hours - and 13 out of 14 days including Saturdays and Sundays. Shift and weekend working attracted additional payments. The 'Management' at each port or place assigned the jobs and tasks to the staff available to them, within the Staffing Complement, on a 'day to day' and 'week to week' basis - often over a 13 week 'roster period' ..

PROMOTION

Promotion from Preventive Man, and from 1923 to 1945 Assistant Preventive Officer, to Preventive Officer was by 'competitive' examination to 'fill dead men's shoes' and the candidates, who usually had between 10 and 15 years service, only had two opportunities to take the exam.

After World War II, General Order No 5/1945 declared that henceforth the Assistant Preventive Officer grade was to be a 'Training Grade' and the examination for promotion to Preventive Officer was to be by 'qualifying' examination. The 'two opportunities' restriction remained and the examination consisted of a written section, like that of pre-war days, followed by an oral 'interrogation' section.

ELIGIBILITY

APO TO PO - WRITTEN EXAMINATION

Copies of some of the APO to PO examination papers are reproduced here. The examination consisted of two written papers, and the usual time allowed for the first paper was 3 hours (10am-1pm) and 2 hours (2.30pm-4.30pm) were allowed for the second paper. PDF examples of the Examination Papers can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right.

PO TO CPO - EXAMINATIONS

APO TO PO - EXAMINATION RESULTS

The results of the Promotion Examination from APO to PO were announced to the service by Omnibus Weekly Order (OWO). Some of these OWOs are reproduced as PDFs which can be seen by selecting the 'button' below.