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T H E WA R AT S E A
T H E WA R AT S E A
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the royal navy in the forth
the royal navy in the forth
T H E R OYA L NAV Y I N T H E F O R T H
In March 1903 it was announced that Rosyth Dockyard, a new naval port and base,
was to be built at St Margaret’s Hope on the north side of the Forth,but the main works
didn’t begin until 1909. WhenWWI began inAugust 1914 the dockyard was still under
construction but the tidal basin intended for submarines could be brought into use.The
opening ceremony was performed by King GeorgeV on 8th June 1915 and the dockyard
finally became operational in March 1916.
So began a process that led to every significant harbour in the Forth estuary being
taken over for naval use, and eventually to the whole of the Grand Fleet being based in
the Forth.AWirelessTelegraph Station was erected
on Castlandhill and an Ordnance Depot (which
still exists) was built at Crombie. An experimental
Seaplane Station operated from Port Laing near
North Queensferry (later transferring to Dundee).
Also established at North Queensferry was a Kite
Balloon Station.
On the south side of the river, by far the most significant development was that of
the Destroyer Base at Port Edgar.
Battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers were moored above or below the bridge,
either at buoys or at anchor (one advantage of a buoy being that it could provide a
telegraph and telephone connection). It was recognised that destroyers were too small
to lie at moorings except for short periods,
especially in winter,and accordingly a base had
to be provided for them.
The existing harbour, requisitioned from
the North British Railway Company in 1916,
was dredged and enlarged and berthing jetties
were provided.The new base was commissioned
as HMS Columbine in December 1917, with
space for 66 destroyers.
TheAdmiralty requisitioned Grangemouth
docks in November 1914.All merchant shipping
was banned for the duration of hostilities, and
Grangemouth became known as HMSRameses,
with many buildings used for administration
and accommodation.
A naval hospital was built at Butlaw, and a much larger (1,200 bed) naval hospital
was established briefly in 1918,when the Stirling DistrictAsylum at Larbert was taken
over by theAdmiralty.
KITE BALLOONS
Kite balloons, towed by ships in the fleet, were fitted from
1916, to spot for mines and submarines, and 180 ships had
been equipped with them by the end of the war, including 18
battleships and three battlecruisers. Sea (or air?) sickness
was a major problem for the observers,who were carried in a
basket below the balloon,communicating with the ship below
by telephone. A Royal Naval Air Station was established at
Donibristle at the end of 1917, becoming part of the newly
formed RoyalAir Force in 1918.
SHORE
FACILITIES
INCLUDED
BARRACKS
WORKSHOPS
STOREHOUSES
A
POWER
GENERATING
STATION
A
DISTILLING
PLANT
TO
PRODUCE
BOILER
FEEDWATER
RECREATION
AND
SPORTING
FACILITIES
.
AN
OIL
FUEL
DEPOT
WAS
BUILT
NEARBY
.