HMS Excellent (shore establishment)

History

RN Gunnery School afloat

In 1845 Captain Henry Ducie Chads took over command of Excellent in succession to Hastings. He remained in post until 1854, by which time the Admiralty had purchased 'Whaley Island' (which at the time was little more than a sandbank). Chads was succeeded first by Captain Thomas Maitland and then, in 1857, by Richard Hewlett. In December 1859 the first-rate Queen Charlotte took over the role of gunnery training ship and was likewise renamed Excellent.

In 1863 Hewlett was replaced by Captain Astley Cooper Key, who was in turn succeeded by Captain Arthur Hood some three years later. By this time, a rifle range had been established on the island for the use of HMS Excellent and the first building appeared there, the land having been somewhat drained and levelled. Under Hood's leadership a torpedo section was set up within the school; overseen by Commander Jacky Fisher (who would later return to Excellent as commanding officer), this was made a separate establishment, as HMS Vernon, in 1876.

RN Gunnery School ashore

It was under Fisher's command, in the 1880s, that approval was given to move the gunnery school ashore, on to Whale Island. The initial proposal had come from a Lieutenant Percy Scott, who (having arrived to train as a gunnery lieutenant in 1878) initially used the island as a running track. The island had grown significantly in size since the 1850s: indeed, up until the early 1890s excavated spoil from the expansion of the Dockyard was routinely conveyed there, using convict labour, to build the island up. Scott returned to Excellent as an instructor in 1883 and took the opportunity to submit a detailed proposal to Fisher which was accepted. (Later in his career Scott was again posted to HMS Excellent on two occasions, returning first as Commander in 1890 and then as Captain of the establishment in the early 1900s.)

The first buildings of the shore establishment were begun in 1885, including what is now known as the Quarterdeck Block. Building work then continued alongside the tasks of draining and levelling the land (the site was known colloquially as 'Mud Island'). By 1891 the whole operation had moved ashore and the old ship was paid off. Centred on a large open drill ground, the site includes the officers' mess in a range to the north with rows of barracks blocks for ratings (demolished and rebuilt c. 2010) arrayed behind. To the west, opposite the Quarterdeck, were long gun battery sheds; the long low drill shed to the south is a listed building (1892). Firing training took place on the batteries and all different varieties of guns were kept on site for instruction on their maintenance and operation. During the 2 February 1901 funeral of Queen Victoria sailors from HMS Excellent provided an honour guard. When the horses of the Royal Artillery intended to pull the gun carriage that bore her coffin from Windsor railway station became unmanageable, the sailors took their place, for which King Edward VII conferred the Victoria medal upon them on 16 March 1901 at Portsmouth, at the commencement of a world tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. The Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section of the Munitions Inventions Department was based here from September 1916, under Archibald Hill. Later, full-sized dummy gun turrets were provided for training purposes. Seagoing training also took place up until 1957 on a series of battleships, cruisers and destroyers that were attached to the facility. From the late 1950s guided missile training was also provided.[[File:Whale Island, Hampshire map 1945.jpg|thumb|Whale Island in 1945|left]]The Portsmouth Field Gun Crew, competing in the Royal Navy field gun competition at the Royal Tournament, used to be based at the site.

Decommissioning and recommissioning

The gunnery school closed in 1985 whereupon HMS Excellent was decommissioned. The site then became part of HMS Nelson.

The establishment was recommissioned as HMS Excellent in 1994 following the closure of the old HMS Phoenix in nearby Tipner and Horsea Island, and the relocation of the school of Fire Fighting and Damage Control from there to Whale Island.

Captains of HMS Excellent

The following list goes as far as 1984. It shows the date of appointment, and rank and decorations held at the time. In some cases a captain held several sequential appointments. It does not show captains held on the books of the Excellent who were not commanding officers of Excellent.

Elements within the site

Maritime Warfare School elements within the site are:

• MWS Phoenix school of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence, damage control and fire fighting HMS Phoenix
• South East Naval Military Training Centre
• Defence Diving School Boat Section

HMS Excellent also provides administrative and infrastructure support to the Maritime Warfare School elements at Defence Diving School, Horsea Island, and small arms ranges at Tipner.

Lodger units

Lodger units are:

• Navy Command Headquarters – Fleet Commander
• Headquarters of UK Maritime Battle Staff
• Fleet Regional Photographic Unit (South East Region)
• DASA (Navy Branch): Defence Analytical Services and Advice is a Division of the MOD tasked with providing statistical and analytical support to the Navy Statistical Publications produced by DASA Navy

Cadets

HMS Excellent is home to a number of Royal Navy cadet units:

• Volunteer Cadet Corps
  • Portsmouth Division Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps
  • HMS Excellent Royal Naval Volunteer Cadet Corps
• TS Alamein Sea Cadet Corps
• Sea Cadet Corps National Training Centre

Notes

References

Sources

References

1. "The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin". The Society for Nautical Research.
2. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 180
3. Lavery, p. 183
4. Lavery, p. 187
5. Hoole, Rob. "HMS Vernon before the excavators came". Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officers' Association.
6. Scott, Percy. (1919). "Fifty Years in the Royal Navy". John Murray.
7. "HMS Excellent: Quarterdeck Block (Buildings Numbers 17 to 21,24 and 25)".
8. (2016). "Maritime Portsmouth". The History Press.
9. "Listed building description".
10. . (1901-03-19). "Our cable Dispatches: Miscellaneous". *The Royal Gazette*.
11. (1983). "Scientists, Inventors and the Military in Britain, 1915–19: The Munitions Inventions Department". Social Studies of Science.
12. (1978). "Archibald Vivian Hill. 26 September 1886 – 3 June 1977". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society.
13. A small museum in the Quarterdeck block preserves artefacts from ''Excellent's'' days as a gunnery school; among them is the [[Royal Navy State Funeral Gun Carriage]] which is drawn by naval ratings at [[State funerals in the United Kingdom. state funerals]] of monarchs and other distinguished UK citizens.RNSC(4)11 postal cover "20th Anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's Funeral", 30 January 1985.
14. "History". Royal Navy.
15. (1980). "Whaley, the story of HMS Excellent 1830 to 1980". HMS Excellent, Portsmouth.
16. "Navy List corrected to the 20th March 1833".
17. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1832".
18. "Navy List corrected to the 20th March 1842".
19. "Navy List for October 1844".
20. "Navy List corrected to the 20th September 1842".
21. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1846".
22. "Navy List corrected to the 20th March 1851".
23. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1853".
24. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1856".
25. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1858".
26. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1862".
27. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1864".
28. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1866".
29. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1868".
30. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1873".
31. "Navy List corrected to the 20th September 1876".
32. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1876".
33. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1874".
34. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1879".
35. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1880".
36. "Navy List corrected to the 20th March 1883".
37. "Navy List corrected to the 20th June 1886".
38. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1889".
39. "Navy List corrected to the 20th December 1892".
40. "Navy List corrected to the 18th December 1893".
41. "Navy List corrected to the 18th June 1895".
42. "Navy List corrected to the 18th June 1897".
43. "Navy List corrected to the 18th October 1900".
44. "Navy List for November 1902, corrected to the 18th October 1902".
45. "Navy List for July 1904, corrected to the 18th June 1904".
46. "Navy List for January 1907, corrected to the 18th December 1906".
47. "Navy List for June 1910, corrected to the 18th May 1910".
48. "Navy List for March 1912, corrected to the 18th February 1912".
49. "Navy List for December 1913, corrected to the 18th November 1913".
50. "Navy List 1917 Pt.1a".
51. "Navy List 1918 Pt.1a".
52. "Navy List for December 1919, corrected to the 18th November 1919".
53. "Navy List for December 1920, corrected to the 18th November 1920".
54. "Navy List for December 1922, corrected to the 18th November 1922".
55. "Navy List for December 1924, corrected to the 18th November 1924".
56. "Navy List for December 1926, corrected to the 18th November 1926".
57. "Navy List for December 1928, corrected to the 18th November 1928".
58. "Navy List for December 1930, corrected to the 18th November 1930".
59. "Navy List for December 1932, corrected to the 18th November 1932".
60. "Navy List for December 1934, corrected to the 18th November 1934".
61. "Navy List for December 1936, corrected to the 18th November 1936".
62. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945, B.C.G. Place to W.L. Puxley".
63. "Navy List for December 1938, corrected to the 18th November 1938".
64. "Navy List for December 1939, corrected to the 18th November 1939".
65. "Navy List for June 1940, corrected to the 18th May 1940".
66. "Navy List for December 1940, corrected to the 18th November 1940".
67. "Navy List for April 1941, corrected to the 18th March 1941".
68. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945, J.S. Bethell to J.A.F. Blight".
69. "Navy List for December 1941, corrected to the 18th November 1941".
70. "Navy List for December 1943, corrected to the 18th November 1943".
71. "Navy List for January 1945, Volume III, H.M. Ships and Establishments, Civil Officers, ETC. Corrected to 30th December 1944".
72. "Navy List for October 1946, corrected to the 30th September 1946".
73. "Navy List for July 1948, corrected to the 17th July 1948".
74. "Navy List for May 1949, corrected to the 18th April 1949".
75. "Navy List for May 1950, corrected to the 18th April 1950".
76. "Navy List for May 1951, corrected to the 18th April 1951".
77. "Navy List for May 1952, corrected to the 18th April 1952".
78. "Navy List for May 1953, corrected to the 18th April 1953".
79. "Navy List for 1955, corrected to the 18th January 1955".
80. "Navy List for 1957, corrected to the 18th January 1957".
81. "Navy List for 1959, corrected to the 18th January 1959".
82. "Navy List for 1961, corrected to the 18th January 1961".
83. "Navy List for Spring 1962".
84. "Navy List for Spring 1964".
85. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945, J.R.H. D'Aeth to W.W. Davis".
86. "Navy List for Spring 1965".
87. "Navy List for Spring 1967".
88. "Navy List for Spring 1970".
89. "Navy List for Spring 1971".
90. "Navy List for Spring 1973".
91. "Navy List for Spring 1975".
92. "Navy List 1977".
93. "Navy List for 1981, corrected to the 31st October 1980".
94. "Navy List for 1982, corrected to the 31st October 1981".
95. "Navy List for 1983, corrected to the 31st October 1982".
96. "Navy List for 1984, corrected to the 31st October 1983".
97. "Navy List for 1985, corrected to the 31st October 1984".
98. "Royal Navy shore establishments – major bases". Armed Forces.
99. "Meet our units". Volunteer Cadet Corps.
100. "Portsmouth". Volunteer Cadet Corps.
101. "HMS Excellent". Volunteer Cadet Corps.
102. "Portsmouth". Sea Cadets.