RN Dockyard Chatham

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

Hi all, has anyone any pictures of Chatham Dockyard in the 1970s-1984, mainly of the 3 basins as I'm researching for a book around that era, growing up from a small boy visiting the docks till I left on Hms Leeds Castle in 1984 (when the dockyard was pretty bleak) I can remember Torbay Tied up and the finishing touches to Andromeda (Sea wolf conversion) going on, any other info or pictures posted here or even to me (I will credit you if this goes ahead) Cheers Jeff ex Leeds Castle, Boxer, Grafton

[CYLLA]

JEFF will this do ,for the moment.

cylla

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

Beautiful, Blake in basin 1 the standby sqn in 2 and Triumph in 3, thanks

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

I still think its close to treason what the last governments have done to our ROYAL NAVY:confused:

[CYLLA]

jeff

I have just found this pic on a old disc,........unable to name any ships .



cylla

[John Brown]

Cylla

A great picture. Thanks for posting it.


Regards...John

[rumrat]

This shot was taken during the Navy Days 1975 of No2 & 3 Basins .Ships present are in No3 Basin TRIUMPH, FINWHALE, GOLD ROVER,,OLYMPUS, TARTAR, VOS and BUYSKES of the Royal Netherlands Navy FIFE and PLYMOUTH.In No2 Basin LONDONDERRY, LYNX, JAGUAR, TCV CALDY, BERRY HEAD, CAVALIER and ROTHESAY.

Hope this is of some help.

Dave

[Juan90]

Takes me back....

Did my secondary training at Chatham, served on Lynx in the far east and visited my mates on Triumph in Singapore in 1969 - or was it 1970? Old and foolish but still the best time of my life...:D

[Benbow]

I was there on HMS Diamond, she was based at Chats during her last commision 67-70.

When ever we left we had to pass the wreck of that old Liberty ship full of unexploded ordinance off of Sheerness!

More ships in that Photo than in todays navy !!

[CYLLA]

BENBOW.has that liberty ship sunk into the mud yet,???you could always see it,s mast .

cylla

[Benbow]

BENBOW.has that liberty ship sunk into the mud yet,???you could always see it,s mast .

cylla

Yup CYLLA; Still there. SS Richard Montgomery.

Have a gander at the following , bet you wouldn't feel to comfortable living in Sheerness. One of them is the survey report from 2003!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Richard_Montgomery

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/montgomery_report_2003_survey.pdf

[doug.birch]

Hi all,
Chatham my first & my last home in the navy,1941-1946 and again in 1953 with the reserve fleet, servicing the Mothball Fleet.
Douglas.Birch Ex-Fencer.

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

This shot was taken during the Navy Days 1975 of No2 & 3 Basins .Ships present are in No3 Basin TRIUMPH, FINWHALE, GOLD ROVER,,OLYMPUS, TARTAR, VOS and BUYSKES of the Royal Netherlands Navy FIFE and PLYMOUTH.In No2 Basin LONDONDERRY, LYNX, JAGUAR, TCV CALDY, BERRY HEAD, CAVALIER and ROTHESAY.

Hope this is of some help.

Dave
one of the dutch ships was Wolf if I remember and thanks all for infor you have sent me, if i do get this project off the ground I will keep you all updated and in credits aswell, cheers
Jeff

[doug.birch]

I was in Chatham dockyard in1953, with the Reserve Fleet I remember HMS Vanguard was next to our HQ Destroyer HMS. Troubridge.Doug.Birch Ex.Fencer

[jonti]

Thanks Cylla for 2 wonderful photos of Chatham Dockyard. During my sea-time from 1953-63, I was a Chatham rating (chatty chats) and I had forgotten how ships entered the dockyard. The first photo shows the 2 locks quite clearly and all the memories flood back. An aircraft carrier figuring in one photo brings home the size of the dockyard.
About the SS Montgomery sunk off Sheerness during WW2, I lived in Southend-on-Sea through the war and remember when the ship sunk. For a time there were several others but I don't know what became of them. Rob T

[nogrub]

Re:Chatham Dockyard

A few Photos of Chatham Dockyard in the early days.

Regards

Harry

[jbryce1437]

Great pics Nogrub. I am sure that there are similar projects that prisoners of today could partake in. It would help to keep them occupied. Then again, day time television figures may suffer if they sent them out for the day:rolleyes:

[peteber1058]

Hello Jeff..Although you asked about Chatham Dockyard back in June 2008 you may still be interested in this information.... I have three souvenir booklets/programmes from 1969,1980 & 1981. They contain the layouts of the ships in the Basins at those times. I will attempt to attach 5 photos plus map I took during 1981. As a point of reference I am standing on TORQUAY taking a photo of the ENDURANCE and with the stern of the COVENTRY (name can partially be seen) which as you know went down in the Falklands war. One other photo with visitors can be seen also on the COVENTRY and I am still on the TORQUAY. You should be able to work the others out. By all means come back for any other help you may need.
Regards Peter

[SCRG1970]

Peter

Thanks for those photos of 1981 ,my last year in the dockyard.Picture five has the bows of two of the ships I was responsible for ECHO,EGERIA and ENTERPRISE. This was the last Navy Days held in Chatham as the planned 1982 Navy Days was cancelled due to the operations "down south". The events that were staged by the Heritage Dockyard were a poor comparison to the real thing !!

Regards

Gerry

[nogrub]

Some more pictures of early Chatham Dockyard.

Harry

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

1981 Navy days now I do remember that one well, just think if London andT riumph had survived just 1 more year London with her 4 4 1/2 inchers for ngs and Triumph for her damage repair, see Berwick there aswell made it through a re-activaction in record time, 12 weeks instead of 18 months, thanks to great dockies of Chatham

[peteber1058]

Peter

Thanks for those photos of 1981 ,my last year in the dockyard.Picture five has the bows of two of the ships I was responsible for ECHO,EGERIA and ENTERPRISE. This was the last Navy Days held in Chatham as the planned 1982 Navy Days was cancelled due to the operations "down south". The events that were staged by the Heritage Dockyard were a poor comparison to the real thing !!

Regards

Gerry
Hi Gerry, You mentioned photo No. 5 but did you notice and can confirm that those three ships you were responsible for are more clearly seen in photo No.3 beneath the helicopter.? Peter

[SCRG1970]

OOPS Missed that one Peter. But yes that is the Inshore Survey Squadron now sadly disbanded.

Thanks for that

Gerry

[peteber1058]

Hi Gerry... further to the photos I sent re Chatham Dockyard and in particular ISS please see photo attached which you may be interested in.
Regards
Peter

[peteber1058]

Hi Jeff....here are the layouts of Navy days at Chatham as requested plus Chatham Dockyard Badge....Peter

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

Peter excellent stuff thanks

cheers
Jeff

[rumrat]

Here's a couple of pictures you may find of interest HMS ECHO on builders sea trials Note the 40/60 bofor mounted on the foc'sel not often you see that on a survey boat didn't think they carried gunners must be wrong .
Regards
Dave

[CYLLA]

dave ,
excellent pics ,..... i have a pic with all three together , and by the looks ,only ECHO was equipped with 40/60,s, it,s sister,s had nothing fitted.

cylla

[SCRG1970]

Dave

re the 40/60 on ECHO. I think it must have been removed shortly after she was handed over to the droggies. I havent seen any other photos with armament fitted or any reference to it.

Regards

gerry

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

Great stuff guys and gals, just curious for those who remeber the navy days why was Triumph never open to the public, :confused:

[SCRG1970]

Triumph was pretty well sealed off hermetically during her time in Chatham and the only area that was readily accessible was the flight deck. If you remember for Navy Days this was used as a commentary post or for the booties to jump off.

Regards

Gerry

[BUCK]

Seeing the phots of the inshore squadron brought memories back.
Served on Egeria 1972 to 1975 hard work long hours but good mates and memories smokey Fagg and frank Hook.
and back again on Rothesay during her big refit 1972 left the ship 1982. Then served on the last ship out of Chatham in 86-87
the beautiful looking Hermione.
Buck

[jeffpayne56@msn.com]

out of 2 basin complete with Sea Wolf, visited her during refit 3 ships in at the time Leeds Castle, Torquay (I Believe) and Herminone very sad day to see the place empty

[CYLLA]

When i was looking for any ships of the reserve fleet at chatham on some old disc,s for another thread,

I came across this piccy .....

The date i don't know :o
There are two tribal,s ,one being H.M.S NUBIAN on the far side., and old faithful H.M.S TRIUMPH.
The other i would not know .....i throw that question of names to " rumrat ,rik ,or bob and jim.

It should interest guy,s of that certain age :D

cylla

[jbryce1437]

Sorry Cylla but I can't help. Although I have a copy of that pic, I am not sure of the names of the ships. I believe the photo may have appeared in a book The Royal Navy at Chatham (or similar name) and there could be further info in the book.

[tonclass]

Checked the book you mention, Jim and that pic IS in there, but all it states is that it is the Stand-By Squadron from the 1970's (No 2 basin) and TRIUMPH in No 3 basin.

[jbryce1437]

Thanks for checking the book Rik, no doubt someone will come up trumps with the names in due course;)

[CYLLA]

many thanks JIM and RIK....so it was stand -by Squadron..that,s some thing i didnt know.. cheer,s

Cylla

[SCRG1970]

Probably ESKIMO which was Chatham based in the 70s and the only Tribal I can remember running from Chatham. NUBIAN and I think MOHAWK appeared in the Standby Squadron only.

Regards

Gerry

[SCRG1970]

A recent visit to Chatham brought this reminder of the Standby Squadron.

Seven days for Steam !!!!

Regards

gerry