Among the earliest for Chatham was Upnor Castle, built in 1567, on the opposite side of the River Medway. I am 82 years of age and was a Naval Shipwright Apprentice (Dockyard number 21413) in Chatham Dockyard from 1941 until 1945. "The Dockyard holds lots of memories for me.. They may still be with the rest of the modern Defence archives at Swadlincote. Brian said: "Chatham was more strict, you'd have to do your tie up and you couldn't roll up your sleeves.". This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. [20] Holl's smithery was itself enlarged with the addition of a foundry in the 1850s, and its courtyard was roofed over for a steam hammer shop in 1865. dailyinfo[30]=' 35346 Private Stuart Bathurst Scott COATES 13th Bn. These are the first standardised industrial buildings. dailyinfo[21]=' Lieutenant Colonel John Michell CLARKE Royal Army Medical Corps who died 21/04/1918 BRISTOL (CANFORD) CEMETERY United Kingdom ' Each has an 18th-century, Main gatehouse 1722, designed by the master shipwright in the style of. A good many were engaged in manning the defences, but some had other duties; others were accommodated there for convenience prior to embarking on ships for duties overseas, or following their disembarkation. Another member of the group, John Gibson, 79 from Southway, joined the dockyard as an apprentice in September 1955. [20], View down the length of the former No 7 Dock towards No 1 Basin (now Chatham Marina), Remains of No 8 Machine Shop with No 1 Boiler Shop behind it, Dock pumping station (its 80ft chimney, formerly on the plinth to the right, has been removed), The Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard held a seat and a vote on the Navy Board in London. The 1964 intake of Dockyard apprentices who built the old woman's shoe, of nursery rhyme fame, for Southsea Carnival. Today the range of buildings and structures . In 1782, an, 18701892 A number of forts built at a greater distance from the dockyard: Forts, Resident Commissioner, Cadiz Yard, (1694), This page was last edited on 18 March 2023, at 23:48. I later transfer to The Foundry and on it's closure I was sent to the training school in Kyber Road to train as a Engine Fitter. Do you remember Chatham Naval Dockyard when it was in its prime? Apprentices. The Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) who died 15/04/1915 CHOCQUES MILITARY CEMETERY France ' He stated that in his experience 7025 was the best HL he served on. [143], Media related to Chatham Dockyard at Wikimedia Commons. Documents are usually arranged by yard, so for most searches it is vital to know the name of the yard where the person worked. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday The dates shown represent the tax paid by the Masters for their Apprentices. var dailyinfo= new Array(31) The dockyard, always pulled together and pulled out all the stops to get things done, especially for the navy. All these developments were to come together with the construction of HMS Achilles, in a newly expanded No 2 Dock, between 1860 and 1864: the first true iron-hulled battleship to be launched in a royal dockyard. [10], From the very start of the 18th century, however, Chatham began to be superseded in both size and importance, first by Portsmouth, then Plymouth, when the main naval enemy became France, and the Western approaches the chief theatre of operations. I was going to leave that bit about Trafalgar out, but their Town Mayor, whose English was better than my French, picked it up and told them anyway. Published 12th Mar 2018, 19:00 BST - 2 min read. Nonetheless, the dockyard closed, as planned, on 31 March 1984.[40]. [12], The dockyard received its first royal visit, from Elizabeth I, in 1573; later, in 1606, James I used Chatham dockyard for a meeting with Christian IV of Denmark. [15] (The old site was in due course transferred to the Ordnance Board, who established the gun wharf there.) The group formed in 1990 as a six-monthly reunion for a group of nineteen Dockyard recorders who had retired and wanted to catch up with each other and share their stories, but some of the group only joined 18 months ago. I am 82 years of age and was a Naval Shipwright Apprentice (Dockyard number 21413) in Chatham Dockyard from 1941 until 1945. [137], The Royal Marine Barracks, Chatham were established in 1779, on a site nestled between the Gun Wharf to the west, the Dockyard to the north, and Infantry Barracks to the east. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry who died 20/04/1915 YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Belgium ' Thirteen of them spent the weekend together in Medway travelling from all over the country, including as far away as Scotland. [122] A few later buildings have survived: a long brick shed of 1805, southwest of the Command House, which once housed carpenters, wheelwrights and other workers as well as stores of various kinds,[123] the adjacent building (machine shop, late-19th century) which now serves as a public library, and the building known as the White House (built as the Clerk of the Cheque's residence in 1816). (Gunpowder, on the other hand, was received, stored and issued across the river at Upnor Castle. ! However, it was not unusual for officers to move between the the Navy Board and the Board of Admiralty over the course of their career. [18], One of the disadvantages of Chatham (and also of the Thames-side yards) was their relative inaccessibility for ships at sea (including those anchored in The Nore). [39] Redundancy notices were served, but then abruptly withdrawn following the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands; the dockyard was heavily involved in preparing ships for the South Atlantic, and in repairing damaged vessels on their return. Do you visit the Dockyard now? Click on the series references in the table below to browse the record descriptions by year ranges: Visit the National Maritime museum Caird Library website for other sources. 1st Floor North, Fitted Rigging House Another, Mike North, got in touch and sent me his cartoon of the staff who were there when the station closed. [136] The new development has retained the name Kitchener Barracks. Regularly taking the mickey out of each other, the group told Plymouth Live that it was crucial to have a good sense of humour. dailyinfo[11]=' Reservist Paul GROLIK 5./I.R.62 German Army who died 11/05/1917 EBBLINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY France ' [37] (In the event, the barracks were reprieved and repurposed rather than being closed at this stage. dailyinfo[20]=' 3/1423 Private John QUINN 2nd Bn. Any pointers would be much appreciated. The father-of-three, who lives with wife Jenny in Hoo, went into the building trade and kept in contact with a couple of the group. My best wishes go out to all my old friends. As far as I can find, no Naval hospital muster lists (ADM 102) survive at TNA Kew for the 1914-1919 period. Constructed from timber recycled from warships probably from the. Contact Plymouth Live reporter Molly Dowrick: molly.dowrick@reachplc.com, and she'll put you in contact with a member of the group. dailyinfo[28]=' 76274 Corporal Horace John Baker WHITTINGHAM 1st Bn. By 1619, the new dockyard consisted of a new dry dock and wharf with storehouses, all enclosed within a brick perimeter wall. Something went wrong, please try again later. Cashiers' Office 18th century. [127] The Infantry Barracks went on to serve as a home depot for numerous regiments. And the men remember they had quite a strict deadline on a Friday afternoon. Trying to find the right nursery, school, college, university or training provider in Kent or Medway? Extended in connection with preparations for HMS, No 1 Machine Shop 1861. [35] During World War I, twelve submarines were built here, but when hostilities ceased, uncompleted boats were scrapped and five years passed before a further ship was launched. [20], No 1 Basin was officially opened in 1871, with HMS Invincible being brought into No 5 Dock for repairs, with great ceremony. The first was by exam and accounted for about 125 apprentices and what was called the . National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. When Achilles, for example, had been completed and floated out of dry dock, she spent almost a year moored in Gillingham Reach, where not only her engines, boilers, funnels and a 2.5-long-ton (2.54t) propeller, but also masts, sails, rigging, guns, coal, food, ammunition and furnishings were either loaded or installed. The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted. These records are not available to view online so to see them you willhave to either visit us in Kew or, if you can locate document references, order copies. A group of local men meet every six weeks and reminisce of a bygone era, Get the latest nostalgia features and photo stories straight to your inbox. As a result, it was acknowledged by 1771 that Chatham had no future as a front-line fleet base;[20] nevertheless, following a visit by the Admiralty Board in 1773, the decision was taken to invest further in Chatham, and to develop it as a building yard rather than a refitting base. Initially a purpose-built 'steam factory' was planned, but following the closure of Woolwich Dockyard in 1869 a number of slip covers were removed from that site and re-erected at the head of the new dry docks to serve as factories for building and fitting engines and for boilermaking. This is the oldest surviving naval building in England. Buy from bookshop. Has it changed for the better, or were those really the "good old days"? Royal Welsh Fusiliers who died 23/04/1918 WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION France ' The boys tell of their daily roles: clocking people in and out, checking employees were working, checking pay, doing the 'holiday rounds', and recording various bits of information. Also in 1686 a 'Great Long Store-house' was built, alongside the ropery on what is now Anchor Wharf;[10] and two new mast ponds were constructed, in what was then the northernmost part of the yard, in 1697 and 1702. [27], To meet the new demands of building in iron, metal mills were built alongside the smithery in 1845, containing rolling machinery and furnaces for reprocessing iron. It normally took place approx 4 . The chances of finding someone by name within this series are steadily improving as details are added to the online catalogue as part of the Navy Board cataloguing project. 1756 Chatham Lines built, to designs by Captain John Desmaretz (who also designed the Portsmouth fortifications). I later worked on such ships as HMS Lincoln, Warspite, Spitfire, Torquay, Hebe, Vidal, Hydra and many many more. Regards Roger Haffenden. The site was first used in 1547, but its busiest period was in the 19th century when 2 ships every year were being launched. Honourable Artillery Company who died 29/04/1917 ARRAS MEMORIAL France ' Dad worked on the submarines for years, and only left when the Dock Yard closed, Many people would have know him as Nobby, but sadly passed away . We can either copy our records onto paper or deliver them to you digitally, Visit us in Kew to see original documents or view online records for free, Consider paying for Diners evacuated from busy Plymouth restaurant and bar, The venue thanked customers for their patience, Plymouth Argyle Home Park attendance figures this season second highest in 60 years, Steven Schumacher has paid tribute to the fans after the Pilgrims won 20 of their 23 League One games at the Theatre of Greens, Seven changes Plymouth Argyle and their fans will notice in the Championship, Steven Schumacher's Pilgrims have booked a place in the second tier of English football for the first time since 2010, Heartbroken family pay tribute to man killed outside Cornwall nightclub, Police have been allowed more time to question a man arrested on suspicion of murder. In 1812 the Royal Engineers Establishment was founded within the barracks to provide instruction in military engineering. The yard would have received, stored and issued cannons and gun-carriages (along with projectiles, accoutrements and also all manner of small arms) for ships based in the Medway, as well as for local artillery emplacements and for army use. In the 1960s Portsmouth Dockyard was the largest employer in the area. After the war's end, they went on to serve as a gunpowder store for a time, and were used by the Royal Engineers (based nearby in Brompton Barracks). I spent a couple of nights in the dormitory blocks, before joining Diamond and had a lot of laughs. The Commissioners were:[89]. [19], Seeking to alleviate this less-than-satisfactory situation, the Navy Board explored options for developing a shore facility with direct access from the open water of the Thames Estuary. [41] The Georgian site is now a visitor attraction under the care of the Trust: Chatham Historic Dockyard. The subalterns were given one room each, the captains two, and field officers four. The records do not cover every yard in every year. In 1832 the Navy Board was abolished and all yards and establishments, except gun wharves, were amalgamated under a single authority. The officers all had servants, who were provided with their own accommodation in the garret. He has two sons Samuel, 35, and Lloyd, 39, who went into engineering. All of these Apprentices are bound to Masters whose names and trades are also included. (At around the same time a victualling store was also established, in nearby Rochester, to provide the ships and their crews with food.) R Cock and N A M Rodger, A guide to the naval records in The National Archives of the UK (London 2006). Following the success of such early trials with screw propulsion, several older sailing ships were taken into dry dock and retro-fitted with propellers, beginning with HMS Horatio. [21] Building works at Chatham did not compare with the substantial expansions underway at Portsmouth and Plymouth at this time; but the southern part of the yard was significantly redeveloped, with construction of two new storehouses on Anchor Wharf and a major reconfiguration of the ropery. They were the good old days,but,it is still a wonderful place to go and visit, I go often. London Regiment who died 08/05/1915 PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL Belgium ' We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Over 414 years Chatham Royal Dockyard provided more than 500 ships for the Royal Navy, and was at the forefront of shipbuilding, industrial and architectural technology. [17] In 1686 two new dry docks were built, in addition to the old single and double dry docks; all four were rebuilt and expanded at various points in subsequent centuries (the double dock having been converted into a single dock in 1703). //-->, By And to celebrate their half-century landmark anniversary, they held a reunion at the former naval base in Medway. [38], The closure of Chatham Dockyard (along with the adjacent Naval Barracks) was announced in Parliament in June 1981 and scheduled to take place in 1984. This guide will help you find records of the staff of Royal Navy dockyards, victualling yards and other naval establishments from around the 1920s or before. My grandad was an electrician working on the submarines and my dad was an engineer. The National Archives has some records of Ordnance employees, mainly within WO 54. For Joe, being in the dockyard was tradition. if (dailyinfo[daym] != "") { document.write(fontstart+dailyinfo[daym]+fontend) } For records of workers from the last 100 years you should start your search at one of the dockyard historical trusts or societies or at a local county or metropolitan archive. that I have asked my family to see that my ashes are scattered on the Medway besides the Dockyard,using a trip on the Paddlesteamer-"Kingswear Castle" to carry out this task. The Grade II listed Park and Garden is getting a makeover to showcase some of its existing heritage features as well as reinstate some of the paving patterns that were part of its original design. Div Royal Marine Light Infantry who died 05/05/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' The Great War Forum Limited 3 Slip). that I have asked my family to see that my ashes are scattered on the Medway besides the Dockyard,using a trip on the Paddlesteamer-"Kingswear Castle" to carry out this task. You are in: Kent > History > Chatham Historic Dockyard > Your memories. It has several themed areas with traditional maritime buildings, a fishing (though in looks only) village with its multi-coloured houses and a modern energy-efficient concept. Land was purchased to the northeast for its construction, and the new saw mill began operation in 1814. Built immediately to the north of the Smithery (the intervening space was later infilled with the Smithery extension of 1867). New married quarters were also opened in March that same year, into which soldiers' families were moved, mostly from lodgings in the town. Nowhere in the world is it possible to see such an intact naval dockyard for the building and maintenance of the ships of the sailing navy as at Chatham. Also, after a reunion in 1993 at Gravesend Rowing Club, Terry said the whereabouts of two of the attendees, John Doggett and Ted Leftley, is now unknown. Designed by Edward Holl, it has a gallery supported on cast iron columns, one of the first uses of cast iron in the dockyard. MDL Apprentice Training School, Certificate Distribution of ''Supervisory Development Program'' for Graduate/Diploma Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961 - 16.03.2023 . It also has been Grade I listed since August 1999. Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. n There was a great reaction to my picture here of some of the old Radio Victory presenters. Something that really sets our city apart is our historic dockyard and the thousands of amazing and hard-working people that have worked there over the years, each contributing to the largest naval base in Western Europe in different ways. [11] The first ship to be built at the dockyard, a 10-gun pinnace named HMS Merlin (or Merlyon), was launched in 1579. I remember arriving at Chatham Dockyard in the Spring of 1954 to join H.M.S. Hawkins' chain was later replaced with a boom of masts, iron, cordage, and the hulls of two old ships, besides a couple of ruined pinnacles. [128], Within the space of 20 years, Chatham Barracks had taken on an additional role as the Army Dept of Recruits and Invalids: accommodating 'a mixed mass of people, viz. For a young lad it was always very impressive.Mon Mar 30 21:56:09 2009, Roger G.J.HaffendenI remember arriving at Chatham Dockyard in the Spring of 1954 to join H.M.S. At its height, it employed over 10,000 skilled artisans and covered 400 acres (1.6km2). Captain of the Dockyard's House 19th century. Read the catalogue details for BT 19 to find related correspondence from various departments of the Board. Chatham Dockyard ledgers: employees, apprentices, etc . 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Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. - David, Germany, "From 1980-1984 I sold newspapers on board all the ships that docked in the yard, I was a young lad of 11 when I started, and only stopped after my father was transferred to Plymouth Dockyard in 1985. General Staff who died 12/05/1916 LE TREPORT MILITARY CEMETERY France ' When Royal Dockyard Chatham closed in 1984 the Ministry of Defence removed all records still held on site. But over the years he knows at least five of those at the previous get-together have died. Hoo resident Terry Hoard is looking for Chatham Dockyard friends from the 1960s. dailyinfo[12]=' Brigadier General Henry Buchanan KIRK Four times Mentioned in Despatches Cdg. Lower Boat House circa 1820 built as a storehouse for squared timber, and later to store ship's boats. The project also includes ADM 354 and ADM 359; these records are at the National Maritime Museum. "Killingholme" Royal Naval Air Service who died 27/04/1916 CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL United Kingdom ' John said: "The dockyard gave you a good life. [47] St Mary's Island, a 150-acre (0.61km2), largely undeveloped area to the north of the three basins, was transformed into a residential community for some 1,500 homes. Built on the site of what had been the convict prison, the barracks complex could accommodate 4,742 officers and seamen in a series of large blocks built along the length of a terrace. The senior officer was now a serving sea officer the superintendent, admiral or captain-superintendent who was often also the port admiral, or flag officer. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence dailyinfo[18]=' J/71444 Ordinary Seaman John Dolby DIAPER H.M.S. He says: When Victory unfortunately lost its licence those of us who were still part of the broadcasting team decamped for a wake to the unofficial Radio Victory registered office known locally as the The Eldon Arms where much-loved mine hosts Terry and Jean Little helped us drown our sorrows..
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