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HMS Caledonia (base)

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His Majesty’s Ship Caledonia
Near Rosyth, Kingdom of Fife in Scotland
File:HMS Caledonia badge.jpg
Badge of HMS Caledonia
Ministry of Defence badge
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HMS Caledonia
Location within the Kingdom of Fife
Coordinates 56°1′56″N 3°26′54″W / 56.03222°N 3.44833°W / 56.03222; -3.44833Coordinates: 56°1′56″N 3°26′54″W / 56.03222°N 3.44833°W / 56.03222; -3.44833
Type Military supply base
Site information
Owner Royal Navy
Operator Royal Navy
Controlled by Royal Navy
Condition Operational
Site history
Built (current) 1996 (1996)
In use 1996-present

His Majesty’s Ship Caledonia (HMS Caledonia) is a military establishment of the Royal Navy based next to the former Royal Naval Dockyard, Rosyth in Scotland.

History[]

HMS Caledonia was first opened in 1937 and responsible for artificer apprentice training from 1937 to 1985, with many thousands of young men going through training. Following the consolidation of naval training in 1985, the site lost its training status with the former apprentice training moving to HMS Sultan in Gosport. The site was subsequently reduced to become part of HMS Cochrane.[1][2]

Just before the beginning of the Second World War, Boys' Training Ship Caledonia was based here.[3] By this time Admiral Sir Charles Ramsey, the Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth, responsible for naval operations in the area, was based at HMS Cochrane just down the road at the Dockyard.[4][5]

In 1993 the Ministry of Defence announced plans to privatise Rosyth. Babcock International, who had bought out Thorn's share of the original Babcock Thorn consortium, was the only company to submit a bid and after protracted negotiations purchased the yard in January 1997. In 1996, following the decommissioning and privatisation of the Royal Naval Dockyard Rosyth, MoD Caledonia was opened on the site of the former dockyard.[6][7][8]

Following the Options for Change review and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reserve unit HMS Scotia was moved from Pitreavie Castle to HMS Caledonia, where it has been based ever since.[8]

In 2018 concerns arose over the future of the site; it was reported that it could close in 2022, despite efforts to save it,[9][8][10][11][12] this was later extended to 2026.[13] On 1 April 2023 it was renamed HMS Caledonia and its future is assured.[14]

Based units[]

  • Royal Navy
    • Headquarters, HMS Scotia[15][16]
    • Royal Naval Support Establishment HMS Caledonia[15]
    • Royal Navy Careers Headquarters (North)[15]
    • Royal Naval Acquaint Centre (Northern)[15]
    • Naval Regional Command Scotland and Northern Ireland (NRCSNI)[15]
    • Directorate of Naval Shore Telecommunications (North)[15]
  • Royal Marines
    • Band of His Majesty's Royal Marines, Scotland[15]
  • Royal Air Force
    • RAF Training and Evaluation Support Team[15]
    • No. 1 Specialist Police Wing RAF[15]
  • Community Cadet Forces
    • TS Fife, Sea Cadet Corps[15]
    • Sea Cadet Training Centre (National Sea Cadets Training Centre)[15][17]
    • 1145 (Dunfermline) Squadron, Central Scotland Wing, Air Training Corps

See also[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ↑ "Secret Scotland - HMS Caledonia". http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/HMSCaledonia. 
  2. ↑ "In pictures: Prince Philip visiting Dunfermline" (in en). https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/19239126.pictures-prince-philip-visiting-dunfermline/. 
  3. ↑ "The Monthly Naval List for September 1939". August 1939. https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/9271/92714949.23.pdf. 
  4. ↑ "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1919-1939". https://naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1919-39.htm. 
  5. ↑ "Royal Navy Organisation in World War II, 1939-1945". https://naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1939-45.htm#22. 
  6. ↑ "Completed acquisition by Babcock International Group plc of Devonport Management Limited". Office of Fair Trading. https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/555de3c840f0b669c40000d1/Babcock.pdf. 
  7. ↑ "OCAAA". https://www.ocaaa.org/. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ali Gibson (18 November 2016). "Where To Home Scotland's Baseless Troops" (in en). https://www.forces.net/services/tri-service/where-home-scotlands-baseless-troops. 
  9. ↑ Smith, Craig. "Fears highlighted over future of MOD Caledonia base in Fife" (in en-GB). https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/607686/fears-highlighted-over-future-of-mod-caledonia-base-in-fife/. 
  10. ↑ "MP says closure is 'still on the cards' at HMS Caledonia" (in en). https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/18839685.closure-still-cards-hms-caledonia/. 
  11. ↑ "MOD Caledonia" (in en). https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2018-03-08.131725.h. 
  12. ↑ "MoD Cuts: The Royal Navy" (in en). Forces Network. https://www.forces.net/services/navy/mod-cuts-royal-navy. 
  13. ↑ "Disposal database: House of Commons report". https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disposal-database-house-of-commons-report. Retrieved 12 July 2022. 
  14. ↑ "Rosyth site secure after transfer back to Royal Navy". https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2023/march/31/230331-caledonia. 
  15. ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 "MOD Caledonia - Rosyth" (in en). http://wikimapia.org/20893798/MOD-Caledonia. 
  16. ↑ Smith, Craig. "New Commanding Officer at Fife-based HMS Scotia celebrates 'career ambition realised'" (in en-GB). https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/1607926/new-commanding-officer-at-fife-based-hms-scotia-celebrates-career-ambition-realised/. 
  17. ↑ "Sea Cadet Training Centre Caledonia" (in en-GB). https://www.britishrowing.org/club/sea-cadet-training-centre-caledonia/. 
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