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Staffing & Promotion In The Waterguard |
| STAFFING - Page contents | ||||
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| STAFF REPORTING - Page contents | ||||
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PROMOTION - Page contents: |
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A return to the 'House of Commons' showing the number of officers employed in the Customs Department, together with staff costs, for the year ended 6th April 1853, can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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Each Waterguard Division, District, Port and Creek had a theoretical staff complement at each grade. In practice this staffing level was rarely met.
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GRADE |
1891 |
1903 |
1914 |
1923 |
1931 |
1931+ |
1945 |
1947 |
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| Boatmen |
1126 |
993 |
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| Preventive Men |
993 |
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| Assistant Preventive Officer |
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950 |
900 |
950 |
600 |
600 |
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| Preventive Officer |
300 |
300 |
300 |
559 |
559 |
625 |
1100 |
1100 |
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| Chief Preventive Officer (Lower section) |
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292 |
26 |
40 |
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| Chief Preventive Officer (Upper section) |
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30 |
16 |
26 |
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| Chief Preventive Officer |
12 |
1 |
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100 |
100 |
150 |
150 |
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| Waterguard/Preventive Surveyor |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
30 |
34 |
34 |
34 |
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| Assistant Superintendent |
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28 |
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| Assistant Inspector & 2nd Class Waterguard Superintendent |
1 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
18 |
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| Inspector & 1st Class Waterguard Superintendent |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
13 |
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| Higher Waterguard Superintendent |
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3 |
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| Deputy Inspector General of Waterguard |
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1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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Inspector General of Waterguard |
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1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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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.
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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:
In addition, whilst not strictly part of the Waterguard, there were:
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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. A draft copy of their c1921 'Terms of Employment' can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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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.
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They were part of the Outdoor Service Management structure. They were responsible to the Landing & Shipping officers at ports and airports. The Watcher grade was required to assist and report to the Waterguard where required in accordance with their official, standing instructions. A copy of the 1937 'Instructions to Watchers' can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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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.
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From the late 1940's Women Search Officers were seconded from the Clerical Officer grade and employed to attend at all the major Passenger Ports. Their job was to attend passenger movements and be available to search female suspects. Some of the more senior WSOs also examined baggage under the directions of a Preventive Officer. In the 1950s and ‘60s there was a thriving traffic in large Passenger vessels arriving from all parts of the world and London Port provided a full time job for four WSOs based at the Custom House, Lower Thames Street, providing cover for all the Passenger movements in London from Victoria Railway Station to Tilbury. There were three WSOs based at London Airport during the 1960s. They wore a smart navy blue Uniform without insignia but the Peaked Cap left some thing to be desired.
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Women Search Officers' conditions of service and the scope of their duties were set out in General Order No 18/1950 which can be seen in the form of a PDF by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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Select the 'button' on the right to see a copy of the Times report - 25 May 1948 - about the introduction of WSOs. |
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Patronage was a part of the Waterguard recruitment system until about 1912 when the surrender of the Patronage system was the subject of Parliamentary Questions. A 'note' of a reply to such question in 1912 can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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Supervisory Visits to Waterguard Stations were a part of a managers duties. In late 1905, General Order 94/1905 introduced the concept of the supervision of Waterguard Staff by Chief Preventive Officers at Ports where there wasn't an Inspector or Assistant Inspector of Waterguard. General Order 94/1905 can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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In 1906, General Order 27/1906 required that Chief Preventive Officers, or Surveyors performing the duties of Chief Preventive Officers, made at least four disciplinary night visits per month, of which at least one was to be between Midnight and 0600 to satisfy himself that the Officers were at their posts and giving proper attention to their duties. General Order 27/1906 can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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On 15 May 1922, General Order 35/1922 laid out the supervisory duties of Waterguard Superintendents and Chief Preventive Officers. General Order 35/1922 can be seen by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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As in most organisations, the Waterguard had personal records of the staff and their service kept centrally by HQ Establishments Branch, Stores Branch and A&CG, and locally by the Collection Staff Section.
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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!
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Select the 'button' on the right for a copy of the letter sending DA Bowman APO on Detached Duty to LAP from Aberdeen in November 1966. |
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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.
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General Order No 17/1933 introduced a system whereby vacancies at small ports were advertised and set out the conditions under which they would be filled in future. General Order No 17/1933 can be seen by selecting the button on the right. |
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Eventually the system was developed so that all officers' transfers were reported and vacancies available were advertised in Omnibus Weekly Orders. For example see pages 6 and 9 of OWO 19/1961 in PDF format available from the button on the right. |
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The 'detached duty allowances' also applied to permanent transfers, as officers on permanent transfer often spent the first few months in temporary accommodation. Once permanent accommodation had been found, a more 'scientifically calculated' rent allowance became payable if the purchase price of the new accommodation was higher than the sale price of the old accommodation. Much also depended on whether the officer was married and/or a householder or not. The allowance was claimed on form C&E 802 - Permanent Transfer - Lodging Allowance. A 1972 version of the form can be seen in PDF format, by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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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' ..
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At LAP 'Working rosters' were published weekly in advance to let staff know where people were working that week. An example of such a roster for the LAP Boarding Station - w/c 19th June 1972 - can be seen in PDF format, by selecting the 'button' on the right. |
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Promotion Review posts arising from reorganisation and the filling normal vacancies during the transitional period were dealt with under OWO 14/1971, Part 1, which can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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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.
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Transitional arrangements for filling Preventive Officer vacancies pending the introduction of the new procedures were announced on 28 August 1946 by General Order No. 27/1946. A PDF copy of this General Order can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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The actual arrangements for these new procedures were announced on 15 December 1948 by General Order No. 33/1948 - Arrangements for the Examination of Assistant Preventive Officers for Promotion to Preventive Officer - a PDF copy of this General Order can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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Lists of those APOs eligible for the Promotion Examination from APO to PO were announced to the service by Omnibus Weekly Order (OWO).
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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. Examples of the Examination Papers can be seen by selecting the 'buttons' below.
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In about 1975, the staff magazine 'Portcullis' published a humoris article uder the heading 'The Old Preventive Exam' which can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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A PDF copy of 5 December PO to CPO examination paper can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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The results of the Promotion Examination from APO to PO were announced to the service by Omnibus Weekly Order (OWO).
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The last APO ever to pass the PO Examination is said to have been Dave Trathen, who came last in the last PO exam! But perhaps ALL those who passed in the last exam can claim to be the last to have passed?
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A review for promotion of EO, HEO and SEO staff, post the intoduction of VAT, and of unattached CPO staff post reorganisation was announced in OWO 46/71, items 3 and 4. This announcement can be seen by selecting the 'button' to the right. |
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