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Sevice Numbers

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Barch

Barch

Grim Reaper 2016
1000+ Posts
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Just seen my lad's service number and it starts with a number as opposed to a letter.

When did this change come about?
 
Yup, everybody Tri-service, commissioned or not now gets a number, no check letter.

I have even heard those with the very very early 300 numbers (low hundreds) calling some of the newer lads 'sprogs'

Made Oi larf.
 
Barch said:
So did people with letters have to change their number?
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No, if you have a service number, you keep it. If you join up JPA gives you a shiny new one.

I believe a very few people transferring or commissioning ended up with a new number because it was easier than getting JPA working properly.
 
156 said:
What if you left the mob but are re-joining? Do you get to keep your old service number??
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I believe that is the case because your service number identifies you and your career record whether it is one continuous lump or broken into two or more parts.
 
propersplitbrainme said:
I believe that is the case because your service number identifies you and your career record whether it is one continuous lump or broken into two or more parts.
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Thank fukc for that. Was hoping i would not have to slip the AFCO CPL a tenner!
 
I find this quite interesting. On joining the RAF in 1963, I, like everyone else, was given a number, mine began 194 . . . . Some 2 or 3 years later we were all given a letter as a prefix to our number. My letter was 'R'.
The letter was allocated following a mathematical process applied to individual digits in service numbers.

Some time later I became aware of the mathematical formulae used by the RAF authorities and ran my own check against the seven digits of my full number. To my surprise, I calculated that my letter should have been 'A'.

Following correspondence between myself and the RAF Records Office in Gloucester, I finally had the satisfaction of receiving an apology from the authorities for getting it wrong. I then received my third service number(with an 'A' prefix) in the space of about 3 years. Now it seems we've gone full circle again! Happy days!
 
I joined in '64 and had a 195 type of number, so I guess we were both B.E.'s. Never did work out how I ended up with the E prefix. Main thing was it identified me on pay parades which is always a good thing.....!!!
 
I joined in 76 and mine started B8126. in 1982, officers began to get a indentifying letter, but that followed the number.
 
Rambling Sid said:
I joined in '64 and had a 195 type of number, so I guess we were both B.E.'s. Never did work out how I ended up with the E prefix. Main thing was it identified me on pay parades which is always a good thing.....!!!
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Hello Sid,

I too joined in 1964 with a 1950*** number. I joined as Clk Sec but remustered to airframe in 1969.

The Prefix number was issued to me in 1964. It was calculated by multiplying all the individual digits of the service number by laid down multiplyers. The total was then divided by 22 (I think) (All the letters of the alphabet less I,O,Q and Z). The answer was then the order of the letter in the alphabet. I think that makes some sort of sense!!!

The new 8 digit numbers are issued by JPA and come from a series of numbers allocated to the RAF. Other series of 8 digits are allocated to the Army and another series to the RN.
 
It was a good idea

It was a good idea

The check digit (prefix or suffix) stopped any wrong numbers being inserted into any computer system, if you got any one entry wrong (unles you flucked it) the whole did not work and was rejected.

Luckily, nowadays nobody makes any mistakes so we no longer need the check digit, it's been leaned.
 
FILTHYRIGGER said:
Hello Sid,

I too joined in 1964 with a 1950*** number. I joined as Clk Sec but remustered to airframe in 1969.

The Prefix number was issued to me in 1964. It was calculated by multiplying all the individual digits of the service number by laid down multiplyers. The total was then divided by 22 (I think) (All the letters of the alphabet less I,O,Q and Z). The answer was then the order of the letter in the alphabet. I think that makes some sort of sense!!!

The new 8 digit numbers are issued by JPA and come from a series of numbers allocated to the RAF. Other series of 8 digits are allocated to the Army and another series to the RN.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation FR, all I can remember about getting the letter was a card left on my bed at Cosford. I am guessing you were either 50th or 51st, long time ago eh.......
 
Service Numbers

Service Numbers

I was once shown the formula for working out the letter at the beginning of your service number from the numbers.

Apparently the letter is there as a check, so that when the number was entered into a computer system, it was verified as correct.

Does anyone know this formula?
 
The letter was introduced after the first 6 months of my service. It was left as a note on my bed and then screamed down my neck by the Cpl, with the usual dire warnings about forgetting it. Does that count as a formula......lol
 
There is an old thread about this somewhere but I can't remember where or when..............................not much help am I really??!!
 
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