The senior official of a Royal Navy dockyard was the commissioner, who was supported by other senior officers including: . Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. I still sometimes wonder if my name I painted on a beam in the apprentice building with a 6" brush is still there. [20], Dockyards have always required shore defences. dailyinfo[12]=' Brigadier General Henry Buchanan KIRK Four times Mentioned in Despatches Cdg. The northern building was used as a fitted rigging house, and a general store for equipment to fit out newly built ships. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Apprentices and masters - The National Archives The following year a forge was built for anchor-making. The project has enabled a sustainable future for one of the Dockyards most important Scheduled Ancient Monuments. 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"Killingholme" Royal Naval Air Service who died 27/04/1916 CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL United Kingdom ' dailyinfo[3]=' 3747 Flight Serjeant Reginald Tom PARRY Air Force Medal 15th Aircraft Acceptance Park Royal Air Force who died 03/05/1919 WELSH NEWTON (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD United Kingdom ' Visit Of 26th Sub LT Tech (LOG) Course of SriLankan Navy on 22 . It really did feel like one big family with a happy atmosphere. 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. A fifth dry dock (No 9) was added in 1895 on the north side of No 1 Basin, opposite the other four, to accommodate the new, larger battleships which were then under construction. [32] (The older slipways, by contrast, were proving much too small and they were mostly filled in around this time, their covered areas being put to alternative uses.) The records do not cover every yard in every year. Chatham's yard was split in two, the area south of the Storekeeper's House becoming an Army Ordnance Store, and the rest a Navy Ordnance Store. 2 School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping Royal Air Force who died 22/04/1919 PENTON MEWSEY (HOLY TRINITY) CHURCHYARD United Kingdom ' [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). [10], The renowned Tudor shipwright Mathew Baker was appointed to Chatham in 1572 (though he was primarily based at Deptford). 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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. Royal Welsh Fusiliers who died 23/04/1918 WARLOY-BAILLON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION France ' seaJane. [127] Built on sloping ground east of the Dockyard, the rectangular site (enclosed within its own perimeter wall) consisted of a 'Lower Barracks' with accommodation for the soldiers and 'Upper Barracks' (later known as 'The Terrace') which housed the officers; between the two was a large parade ground. Plymouth Argyle legend Paul Wotton leads Truro City to promotion, Finley Craske, a loan signing from Argyle, was part of the Truro team which won the Southern League Premier South Play-Off Final, Former winery transformed into idyllic 'private' and 'peaceful' family home, The property has sufficient space to create the 'ideal pony paddock', Doctor warns of nine symptoms of 'silent killer' that women shouldn't ignore, Ovarian cancer is often called a 'silent killer' because warning signs often don't become apparent until the disease is advanced, Peek inside Plymouth's 'secret' tennis club as it opens up for new members, The Stonehouse Lawn Tennis Club has grass courts, gardens, allotments and, Affordable homes to tackle housing crisis to built on former youth club site. [134], In 1928 Chatham Barracks was taken over by the Royal Engineers and renamed Kitchener Barracks. 'Everything had to be done by 4pm on Fridays', which made Fridays quite manic and stressful at times, they said. I spent a couple of nights in the dormitory blocks, before joining Diamond and had a lot of laughs. Australian Infantry, A.I.F. He spent two years learning basic skills before going on "float" learning his trade of welding, machine fitting and repairs on board ships based in the basins and dry docks. dailyinfo[13]=' Gefreiter Richard STROEBER 12./R.I.R.22 German Army who died 13/04/1918 ERQUINGHEM-LYS CHURCHYARD EXTENSION France ' 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). He very often told us grandchildren about the work and circumstances during the WW2. [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. I clearly remember visiting Chatham Navy Dockyard during the 1970s as a boy. And to celebrate their half-century landmark anniversary, they held a reunion at the former naval base in Medway. Each member of the group was a recorder in the dockyard around fifty years ago, with some joining as young apprentices. When a new boss joined the recorders' division in the 1970s, he informed the employees 'You will all wear ties,' said John. They went to work the day after the new rule, with 'no shirt and no vest'. General Staff who died 12/05/1916 LE TREPORT MILITARY CEMETERY France ' [131], During the Napoleonic Wars large numbers of troops were concentrated at Chatham Lines to counter the threat of a French invasion. However he was readmitted to RNH Chatham on 9/11/1915as case number 312. He says for the first three months of the apprenticeship he was given no tools and distinctly remembers the big 'awful sacks' [overalls] they used to wear. Three times a year hundreds of youngsters left school at 15 to start life as apprentices, many in the 'yard. Charles Dickens (18121870), who had grown up in Chatham, returned in later life and described in 1861 the novel sight (and sounds) of a ship being built for the first time of iron (rather than wood): Twelve hundred men are working at her now; twelve hundred men working on stages over her sides, over her bows, over her sterns, under her keel, between her decks, down in her hold, within her and without, crawling and creeping into the finest curves of her lines wherever it is possible for men to twist. Something went wrong, please try again later. down the phone. Captain of the Dockyard's House 19th century. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. [132], A Royal Commission of 1861 (set up in the wake of the Crimean War to improve the sanitary condition of Britain's Army barracks and Hospitals)[133] was scathing in its judgement of facilities at Chatham; in the years that followed several alterations were made to Chatham Barracks (which had changed little over the preceding century): an additional storey was added to several of the barrack blocks to help alleviate overcrowding, and new buildings were inserted among the old, containing improved facilities for cooking, washing and recreation. For the first two years of his apprenticeship, he moved through the different ships, Brian recalled, and in his third year the skipper taught him, he said. Apprenticeship Home The majority of its buildings are still standing, several of them occupied by the Universities at Medway. Collections at The Historic Dockyard Chatham Div Royal Marine Light Infantry who died 05/05/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' ). 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. The first steam-powered ship to be laid down at Chatham was HMS Phoenix, one of four paddle steamers built concurrently across the royal dockyards in the early 1830s, each designed by a different leading shipwright. Chatham Historic Dockyard dailyinfo[17]=' 79947 Sapper Andrew WATT 173rd Tunnelling Coy. Published 15 June 2021. var fontstart = '' What's for dinner? In 1665, the Navy Board approved Sheerness as a site for a new dockyard, and building work began; but in 1667 the still-incomplete Sheerness Dockyard was captured by the Dutch Navy and used as the base for an attack on the English fleet at anchor in the Medway itself. Chatham Dockyard - Wikipedia Three ex-Chatham Dockyard workers Brian Jenkins, Barry Stevens and John Dockyard Church 1806. 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. My son got good qualifications and worked in Formula 1 racing. Extended in connection with preparations for HMS, No 1 Machine Shop 1861. In the interwar years, eight S-class submarines as well as X1 were built at Chatham but this was a period of decline. [20] The docks varied from 160ft (49m) to 186ft (57m) in length. It came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with . The boys would notice lots of people walking past the phone box, and if someone answered the random call, the group's friend would shout: "Nosy parker!" Nonetheless, the dockyard closed, as planned, on 31 March 1984.[40]. Discover some of the amazing objects found at the Dockyard. The group has met regularly over the years celebrating their time at Chatham together. dailyinfo[19]=' Second Lieutenant Robert Charles Middleton HARPER General List who died 19/04/1917 JERUSALEM MEMORIAL Israel and Palestine (including Gaza) ' Twelve houses built for senior officers in the Dockyard. ", Keith added: "I liked all our antics, [in the dockyard] you had to have a sense of humour.". [41] The Georgian site is now a visitor attraction under the care of the Trust: Chatham Historic Dockyard. )[119], A plan of 1704 shows (from north to south) a long Storehouse parallel to the river, the Storekeeper's house (the Storekeeper was the senior officer of the Yard) and a pair of Carriage Stores. In the years of peace after 1815 Chatham continued to serve as a major embarkation port for troops serving overseas. - Nicola, Chatham, "I entered the Dockyard on the 5th May 1967 as a Pattern Maker Apprentice. If you have a specific enquiry relating to an object in our collections and cannot find the information you need online, please contact collections@chdt.org.uk. Nicholas, South Africa, last updated: 26/03/2009 at 15:36created: 26/03/2009. Chatham Historic Dockyard | Historic England It normally took place approx 4 . The largest groups were the fitters and turners and the electricians followed by the shipwrights. The White Yarn House to store the yarn before it was tarred to prevent rot. And the men remember they had quite a strict deadline on a Friday afternoon. Chatham Dockyard and its Defences - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Brian and John remember their Devonport Dockyard wage: 2 6s 2d a week (about 2.32), with no overtime for apprentices, but said at the time they were well looked after. This information will help us make improvements to the website. [125], With the failure of Upnor Castle, it was seen necessary to increase the defences. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [37] (In the event, the barracks were reprieved and repurposed rather than being closed at this stage. Apprentices and masters. [48], Chatham Dockyard has become a popular location for filming, due to its varied and interesting areas such as the cobbled streets, church and over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian periods. The following series cover workers who retired or worked after 1832: Try, also, searching the Admiralty Miscellanea inADM 7(1563-1956). 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.. 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. A primary school (St. Mary's CofE) and a medical centre provide facilities for the residents and there are attractive walks around the Island. dailyinfo[28]=' 76274 Corporal Horace John Baker WHITTINGHAM 1st Bn. There were two routes to entry. (Hill House would serve as the dockyard's Pay Office for the next 180 years; the Royal Marine Barracks were later built on its site). [20] The following year, John Rennie was engaged to build an entirely new dry dock (following his own recommendations) which was the first in the dockyard to be built entirely of stone; it was built on the site of the old smithery. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Brian Clarke, Gillingham. Now, around ten 'old boys' meet every six weeks in the Union Street Wetherspoon to laugh about the old times. The barracks for other ranks were arranged in three rows, west of the parade ground, with soldiers sleeping sixteen to a room in eight double beds, as was standard practice at that time. Any pointers would be much appreciated. [36]
