[26] Another hint of changes to come was seen in the launch of HMS Aetna, the first armour-plated vessel to be built at Chatham, in 1856. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry who died 20/04/1915 YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Belgium ' Additional flight to evacuate Britons from Sudan today, Tributes paid to singer Gordon Lightfoot following death, Marks &Spencer to close stores in May - full list of closures, HMV to reopen original flagship store after four year closure, Mller recall Cadbury desserts because of Listeria contamination, Nurses strike continues: Major disruption for NHS services in England. dailyinfo[10]=' 837119 Gunner Alexander BROOKS Military Medal "A" Bty. [34] Also with the 20th century came the submarine. We collect and preserve objects related to the Dockyard's past and also carry out specific research into the Dockyard's rich and varied history. Twelve houses built for senior officers in the Dockyard. For Terry Hoare being an apprentice shipwright at Chatham Dockyard 60 years ago were the best days of his life. She said plans to upgrade her garden, part of her retirement after 38 years in the NHS, have now been put on hold, People with these 57 health conditions can get more than 400 a month from DWP, The support is available to millions of people, Plymouth Civic Square improvements are starting to take shape. [11] The first ship to be built at the dockyard, a 10-gun pinnace named HMS Merlin (or Merlyon), was launched in 1579. Now, around ten 'old boys' meet every six weeks in the Union Street Wetherspoon to laugh about the old times. It was 50 years ago these former Chatham Dockyard apprentices met for the first time. The decision established Chatham as the country's premier naval industrial complex; nevertheless, concerns were already being raised over its river being prone to silting. 10,499 / mo*. Great days out, can still smell the hot dog stand with its fried onions. var day=mydate.getDay() They were given a tour of Chatham Historic Dockyard, now an award-winning tourist venue, and visited the Royal Engineers Museum in Gillingham. He said: "We built up a comradeship, we were virtually living together. Welsh Regiment who died 30/04/1916 MERVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY France ' The Dockyard led to large numbers of military personnel being garrisoned in Chatham and the surrounding area. In the years of peace after 1815 Chatham continued to serve as a major embarkation port for troops serving overseas. After completion of the new dock in 1821, reconstruction of the other docks in stone followed (with the exception of the northernmost, which was converted into a slipway); they were likewise emptied using steam power, provided by the same engine and pumps (which were also linked to a network of pipes installed across the whole dockyard site for firefighting purposes). who died 02/05/1915 BABY 700 CEMETERY, ANZAC Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' [124], During the wars with Spain it was usual for ships to anchor at Chatham in reserve; consequently John Hawkins threw a massive chain across the River Medway for extra defence in 1585. The first was by exam and accounted for about 125 apprentices and what was called the . Three times a year hundreds of youngsters left school at 15 to start life as apprentices, many in the 'yard. var dailyinfo= new Array(31) 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 ), electric & acetylene welding and the Blacksmiths shop.In travelling along Dock Road my memories go back to the check-in booths where we were checked against our photo and a recent trip along Luton Road recalled the many hours spent at the Dockyard Apprentices Club.At one stage in my Naval career, I served as a Shipwright Training Instructor at H.M.S Caledonia at Rosyth in Scotland where the Naval Shipwright training was subsequently transferred I have many more memories, too many to relate here but I hope these will be sufficient to remind others reading this of happy times spent in the Dockyard. Remembered Today: The annual intake was usually restricted to ten applicants and we were required to attend the Dockyard School for three years and pay a weekly visit to the Royal Navy Barracks gym and swimming pool for training sessions by naval personnel.Our apprenticeship covered many departments including the Boat House, Mast House, Drawing Office, Joiners Shop, Paint Shop, Plumbing, Ship Repairs (rivetting, caulking etc. Do you visit the Dockyard now? Chatham's establishment as a naval dockyard was precipitated by the use of the Medway as a safe anchorage by the ships of what became (under King Henry VIII) England's permanent Royal Navy. He very often told us grandchildren about the work and circumstances during the WW2. Diamond, one of the Navy's Daring Class Destroyers which was in Dry Dock in one of the Basins. 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. 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. Documents are usually arranged by yard, so for most searches it is vital to know the name of the yard where the person worked. The ropery. It was completed in 1903. Some dockyards have changed their name so you may need to search using the alternative names or the dockyard locations provided in above and in the appendix (you can also browse seriesADM 42 to get an idea of what dockyards are covered by the records). The permanent residents were the dockyard men. I became so attached to the place,(My Home Port!) [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. As no muster books survive after the mid-19th century you will need to consultsalary and pension records for dockyard workers after that period. Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent.Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, two-thirds of the dockyard lay in Gillingham, one-third in Chatham).. Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. Thirteen of them spent the weekend together in Medway travelling from all over the country, including as far away as Scotland. Some post-1920s service records for dockyards personnel are held by the Ministry of Defence. MDL Apprentice Training School, Certificate Distribution of ''Supervisory Development Program'' for Graduate/Diploma Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961 - 16.03.2023 . WIPS & CSR TEAM - Handing over of Old clothes, Books & Toys To Tata Power Mahila Bachat Gat - 20.01.2022. Deep in the woods, the hidden remnants of a D-Day army, Fine German engineering was'captured' for Portsmouth after First World War 'Nostalgia, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). A primary school (St. Mary's CofE) and a medical centre provide facilities for the residents and there are attractive walks around the Island. However he was readmitted to RNH Chatham on 9/11/1915as case number 312. Read more: All the latest news from Medway. n There was a great reaction to my picture here of some of the old Radio Victory presenters. The following series cover workers who retired or worked after 1832: Try, also, searching the Admiralty Miscellanea inADM 7(1563-1956). 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. But every six weeks, if you're lucky, you might bump into a group of men - all in their 80s - who have some truly fascinating stories to tell. This building retains it original structure and roof glazing. Now at the age of 77, there's nothing he'd like more than to meet up with the lads whom he forged a close bond with as teenagers to talk about old times. Therefore, rather than risk being constrained by wind, tide and draught on a journey upriver, ships would seek as often as possible to do running repairs and maintenance while at anchor, and would only travel to the dockyard when necessary. It includes Papersafe UK[43] and Nordic Recycling Ltd.[44] In 2013 Peel Ports, which owns and runs Chatham Docks, announced that it was set to convert a 26-acre (0.11km2) portion of the commercial port into a mixed-use development (incorporating offices, an education facility, apartments, town houses and a food store (Asda), as well as landscaped public areas). In addition, the Medway had begun to silt up, making navigation more difficult (especially as the Navy's ships were getting larger). In its early days, dockyards such as Chatham were the largest industrial centres in the world. The records covered are for yards in the UK and abroad. Published 15 June 2021. In 1717 the original Storehouse was replaced with the Grand Store (a much larger three-storey building, contemporary with and of a similar style to, the Main Gatehouse in the Dockyard). "We made sure he won," Keith said, "He won a chicken, a live chicken, he didn't know what to do with it! Junior Apprentices The Dockyard School between the Wars Apprentices in Wartime Introduction of Group Training of Apprentices Whitworth . [31] In 1897 a naval barracks was built on the site of the prison to provide crew accommodation for ships anchored in The Nore; for the next sixty years it served as the headquarters of Nore Command, whose Commander-in-Chief was accommodated in the adjacent Admiralty House. Welsh Regiment who died 31/03/1918 KARASOULI MILITARY CEMETERY Greece ' Went to Navy Days, both as a toddler with my parents and later as 8-10 yr old with school friends. NOSTALGIA: The mysterious case of the disappearing Portsmouth Guildhall, When Purbrook had three pubs within 100 yards - Nostalgia. dailyinfo[19]=' Second Lieutenant Robert Charles Middleton HARPER General List who died 19/04/1917 JERUSALEM MEMORIAL Israel and Palestine (including Gaza) ' How the military presence developed after 1820, showing how the need for housing gave birth to New Brompton, and showing roads and railways. These may be answered face-to-face in the case of the Reading Room collections or by telephone, letter, or email for our archive and object holdings. [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). R Cock and N A M Rodger, A guide to the naval records in The National Archives of the UK (London 2006). [20], At the same time, moves were being made towards the application of steam power to ship propulsion. He stated that in his experience 7025 was the best HL he served on. var fontstart = '' down the phone. The Dock would be filled with all types of Naval ships, decked out with flags & crew dressed in their dress uniforms. For England this will usually mean one ofthe following six Royal Navy dockyards (the years in brackets are opening and closing dates): For details of more Royal Navy dockyards, both in the UK and overseas, see the Appendix. [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. The principal records and how to search for them, A guide to the naval records in The National Archives of the UK, Friends of The National [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. Until 1814 timber was cut by pairs of men, one above and one below the log. Productions that have chosen to film at Chatham Dockyard include: Les Misrables,[49] Call the Midwife,[50] Mr Selfridge,[51] Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,[52] Oliver Twist,[53] The World Is Not Enough [54] and Grantchester. [37] (In the event, the barracks were reprieved and repurposed rather than being closed at this stage. I still sometimes wonder if my name I painted on a beam in the apprentice building with a 6" brush is still there. Careening took place on the river, according to a Privy Council instruction of 1550;[7] for more specialised repairs and maintenance, however, ships would have had to travel to one of the purpose-built royal dockyards (the nearest being those on the Thames: Deptford and Woolwich). The dockyard, always pulled together and pulled out all the stops to get things done, especially for the navy. The man did, John says, and told his boss he had a hacksaw between his teeth so he could fish for swordfish. The first battleship to be built on the new No 8 Slip was HMS Africa, launched in 1905; however it also proved to be the last, as it was announced (controversially) that Chatham Dockyard would be unable to accommodate Dreadnoughts. Though I have been on visits it's just not the same!" Another member of the group, John Gibson, 79 from Southway, joined the dockyard as an apprentice in September 1955. Under his supervision the site was developed to include sawpits, workshops, storehouses and a wharf with a treadmill crane (completed in 1580). All of these Apprentices are bound to Masters whose names and trades are also included. He adds: I am in contact with four other apprentices John Bramble, Geoff Hillier, Barry Pickering and John Summerfield from the entry, but it would be nice to get a reunion gathering together. In the 1960s Portsmouth Dockyard was the largest employer in the area. [28] In 1860 the dockyard's policing was also transferred to the new No.4 Division of the Metropolitan Police, which remained in that role until 1932. [25] For the time being, however, marine steam engines were not manufactured on site but were ordered from Thames-based private contractors (along with other associated equipment). New married quarters were also opened in March that same year, into which soldiers' families were moved, mostly from lodgings in the town. [125], With the failure of Upnor Castle, it was seen necessary to increase the defences. The barracks were set to close in 1961 when the majority of naval personnel were withdrawn from Chatham;[142] however, it went on to serve instead as the RN Supply and Secretariat School in succession to HMSCeres, before finally being closed along with the Dockyard in 1984. The officers all had servants, who were provided with their own accommodation in the garret. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. When a new boss joined the recorders' division in the 1970s, he informed the employees 'You will all wear ties,' said John. The fire-fighting displays were actually good education for us, as were all the displays of engineering, diving and damage control.Later I went in a group of school cadets to see the launch of the submarine HMS Onslaught, built at Chatham.Whilst a member of the Kent Police Force, I acted as an interpreter for a party of visiting French police officers and their wives and we were shown through the rope-making loft where HMS Victory's ropes had been made. Maritime history records held by other archives. Rifle Brigade who died 09/05/1915 RATION FARM MILITARY CEMETERY, LA CHAPELLE-DARMENTIERES France' He has two sons Samuel, 35, and Lloyd, 39, who went into engineering. It is, Commissioner's Garden dating from 1640. I have a copy of his Army Form 103 Casualty Form that traces his movement from CCS in Gallipoli to RNH Malta (although Im not sure which one but probably Bighi) back to UK but after that Ive drawn a blank. Thanks seaJane. I was on board HMS Hermoine when she left the yard for the last time, I was one of the guests of honour, a great experience for a young lad of 15. " [55], The Captain of the Dockyard's House and flagstaff, Double Ropewalk and Black Yarn House to right, The Victorian Steam Yard was built around three large Basins (wet docks), constructed between 1865 and 1885 along the line of St Mary's Creek (separating St Mary's Island from the mainland). Saw HMS Jamaica of Bismarck fame and I believe we saw HMS Manxman too in which a friend's uncle had served during WW2. At around the same time a large house was leased (the Hill House) for administrative purposes including meetings of the Council of Marine Causes. John said: "The dockyard gave you a good life. [30] Work on the other docks and basins followed, with No 3 Basin finally being completed in 1883. 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. 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. The majority of its buildings are still standing, several of them occupied by the Universities at Medway. Elgar Curling, who was 16 at the time, said: We all still get on a like house on fire. The site was expanded and rebuilt in the 1860s; in 1905 the Royal Marines took over Melville Barracks, which stood between Dock Road and Brompton Hill (it had formerly served as Chatham's Royal Naval Hospital). [24] By 1861, No 1 Dock had been filled in and a machine shop constructed in its place for heating, bending and planing armour plate for HMS Achilles which was being built alongside. It also has been Grade I listed since August 1999. Each has an 18th-century, Main gatehouse 1722, designed by the master shipwright in the style of. He said: The training was excellent. Unlike the earlier timber docks, which were drained using gravity, this new dock (No 3 Dock) was pumped dry using a Boulton & Watt steam engine. "Without a shadow of a doubt, those were the best years of my life, apart from my married life of course.". Also Grade II* listed. [134], In 1928 Chatham Barracks was taken over by the Royal Engineers and renamed Kitchener Barracks. There was an annual intake of some 300 boys between 15 and 16 years old in two intakes September and January. We decided not to go, which I am glad about as all my family and friends are here and MY family now take advantage of the Dockyard." It now houses, South Dock Pumping Station 1822, designed by, Commissioner's House 1704. [20], Dockyards have always required shore defences. 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). 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. Constructed from timber recycled from warships probably from the. dailyinfo[15]=' 6963 Private Albert CHRISTIE 1st Bn. [41] The Georgian site is now a visitor attraction under the care of the Trust: Chatham Historic Dockyard. It was 50 years ago these former Chatham Dockyard apprentices met for the first time. Since November 2017 Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has undertaken major conservation, repair and adaptation works to the Fitted Rigging House, the home of the Reading Room. 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. From 1844 St Mary's was used as an 'Invalid Barracks', accommodating soldiers having to return from service in different parts of the British Empire because of illness, injury or age. Buy from bookshop. 93rd Infantry Bde. who died 04/05/1917 AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL MEMORIAL New Zealand ' By chance, about 4 or 5 years ago, while on rota on the Visitor Operations team at The Historic Dockyard Chatham I had a conversation with a visitor who had been the Master of HL7025 in service. "If you were in trouble, if you had a problem, there was always someone there to support you," recalled Joe. ", Keith added: "I liked all our antics, [in the dockyard] you had to have a sense of humour.". dailyinfo[28]=' 76274 Corporal Horace John Baker WHITTINGHAM 1st Bn. Use our catalogue to search within the records series listed below. The oldest surviving barracks in the Chatham area is in Upnor; dating from 1718, it housed the detachment of 64 men responsible for guarding the gunpowder store in Upnor Castle. Ultimately they meet up to share their dockyard memories and amusing stories. 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. Mr Gray, who lives in Portsmouth, remarked on the differences which have taken place at the dockyard over the decades. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. [20], In 1897 a new, even longer dry dock was opened on the north side of No 1 Basin: at its opening, this (No 9 Dock) was the largest in the world at 650ft (200m) long by 84ft (26m) wide. 2 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping Royal Air Force who died 22/04/1919 PENTON MEWSEY (HOLY TRINITY) CHURCHYARD United Kingdom '