It is, Commissioner's Garden dating from 1640. [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. His picture shows most of the apprentices in his year along with a few from other trades who helped build the float. The names that I have are Bob Piper, Calvin Sims, Chris Wyatt, Tony Davies, Malcolm Copper, Terry OHagan, Stuart Lukey, Ed Salvage, Ian Privet, Mick Tucker, Michael Arnell, Malcolm Bain, Allan Fudge, Barry Goble, Dennis Purvis, Bernhard Reed, Malcolm Reglar, Joseph Shears, Alan Weatley and John Miller.. But he said without helping me out in the garage ripping out engines, he wouldnt have a clue.. Brian Clarke, Gillingham. These are the first standardised industrial buildings. dailyinfo[5]=' CH/316(S) Private Jack WILSON Chatham Bn. var fontstart = '' Two years later the project was largely complete, with facilities provided alongside for gun mounting and mast rigging, as well as a victualling depot and a coaling area. Early History of the Royal Yards and the original Dockyard of Chatham chap 1 1 The New Dockyard 7 Ship List, 1586- 1660 13 Notes on the Rating and Tonnage of Ships 15 Estimate of Costs for a 3rd-rate 16 . At the same time, the nearby village of Brompton began to be developed to provide housing for the dockyard's growing workforce. Lancashire Fusiliers who died 25/04/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) ' By 1619, the new dockyard consisted of a new dry dock and wharf with storehouses, all enclosed within a brick perimeter wall. down the phone. 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. "The Dockyard holds lots of memories for me.. Read the catalogue details for BT 19 to find related correspondence from various departments of the Board. WIPS & CSR TEAM - Handing over of Old clothes, Books & Toys To Tata Power Mahila Bachat Gat - 20.01.2022. 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. Amusingly, they rigged the draw, Keith says, so their friend would win. The senior official of a Royal Navy dockyard was the commissioner, who was supported by other senior officers including: Clerks and foremen, known as inferior officers, supported the senior officers. In the event, those defences were built in distinct phases, as the government saw the increasing threat of invasion:[126]. The surviving records for dockyard workers tend to be various kinds of records of pay, including muster books (but not after the mid-19th century) and pension records. // Stop Define Variables for days of the month I remember arriving at Chatham Dockyard in the Spring of 1954 to join H.M.S. Many homes have views of the River Medway. The northern building was used as a fitted rigging house, and a general store for equipment to fit out newly built ships. [46], The remaining 350 acres (1.4km2) were transferred to the government's urban regeneration agency (later English Partnerships). who died 04/05/1917 AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL MEMORIAL New Zealand ' At around the same time the officers' blocks on the terrace were given over to provide accommodation for sergeants and married NCOs, the officers being provided with new quarters 'near the fortifications at Prince Henry's Bastion'. The 1964 intake of Dockyard apprentices who built the old woman's shoe, of nursery rhyme fame, for Southsea Carnival. [45] In 2019 Peel announced that Chatham Docks would close in 2025 with the loss of 800 jobs. dailyinfo[13]=' Gefreiter Richard STROEBER 12./R.I.R.22 German Army who died 13/04/1918 ERQUINGHEM-LYS CHURCHYARD EXTENSION France ' [37] (In the event, the barracks were reprieved and repurposed rather than being closed at this stage. dailyinfo[31]=' 15229 Lance Corporal Ernest Charles EVANS 11th Bn. 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. 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. dailyinfo[12]=' Brigadier General Henry Buchanan KIRK Four times Mentioned in Despatches Cdg. dailyinfo[18]=' J/71444 Ordinary Seaman John Dolby DIAPER H.M.S. However, as some men worked in both the dockyards and aboard ships across the course of their naval career, it is sometimes also worth looking for records of individuals, especially skilled workers (artificers or tradesmen), in Royal Navy records (as administered by the Admiralty Board). 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. 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. dailyinfo[14]=' 29919 Gunner Eric William BENJAFIELD 5th Bde. When young Robert started there in 1958, the docks employed 6000 people on a two-mile long site encompassing hundreds of workshops, offices and storehouses as well as its own police . [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. Prices may vary with room occupancy and attributes. At the time the order was given the vessel was entirely unrigged; yet the masts were raised, sails bent, anchors and cables on board, in that time.[3]. South Staffordshire Regiment who died 01/05/1920 KRANJI MILITARY CEMETERY Singapore ' ), The final boats constructed in Chatham were Oberon-class submarines Ocelot was the last vessel built for the Royal Navy, and the final vessel was Okanagan built for the Royal Canadian Navy and launched on 17 September 1966. Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. [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. 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. It remained thus until 1958 when the yards were closed (the Army depot having served latterly as an atomic weapons research laboratory). Thirteen of them spent the weekend together in Medway travelling from all over the country, including as far away as Scotland. [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 indenture was a contract signed by the apprentice, the parent / guardian and the Admirality on satisfactory completion of a 3 month probation period. Wed Apr 8 12:02:25 2009. The boys even achieved ISMs, Imperial Service Medals - but what really stays in their memories, they say, is the 'camaraderie' and the laughter. He said: "It's proving difficult because they are not on social media.