I am trying to determine why a sailor, who had been a Boy Sailor during the Great War and had signed on for 12years with the Royal Navy from March 1918, was in 1935 awarded the RFR Long Service Medal and not the Royal Navy LSGC.  His service record shows continuous service from one ship to another without a break until 1929 when records were transferred. What his service was after 1929 I do not know.

I had assumed that the RFR was something like the Territorial Army in that a man had a civilian job but a certain amount of time each year was devoted to military duties and in time of war he would be amongst the first to be called up for active service.  

Could it be that whilst following civilian employment a man would be borne on a ships books even though he was not on board?

Thank you

Alan

The Royal Fleet Reserve is what a man is allocated to after his 'active' service with the Navy. On discharge to civilian life, you are retained on the RFR - no time is required 'devoted to military duties', that is the role of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) - although it is not unknown for RNR to be ex-RN and part of the RFR.