Commander-in-Chief, The Nore

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Commander-in-Chief, The Nore
File:Peter Monamy - The flagship Royal Sovereign saluting at the Nore.jpg
The flagship HMS Royal Sovereign saluting at the Nore
Active 1752 - 1961
Country  United Kingdom
Branch Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy
Type Fleet
Garrison/HQ Chatham, Kent
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 John Tovey

The Commander-in-Chief, The Nore was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Nore Command.

History

File:ChathamHDAdmirals0042.JPG
The Admiral's House, Chatham

The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the River Medway.[1] The command was established at Chatham in 1752[2] and became responsible for sub-commands at Chatham, London (less the Admiralty), Sheerness, Harwich and Humber.[1]

From 1827 the Commander-in-Chief was accommodated in Admiralty House, Sheerness, built as part of the renewal of Sheerness Dockyard. In 1907 he moved to a new Admiralty House alongside the naval barracks (HMS Pembroke) in Chatham, the Sheerness house being given over to the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet.[3]

In 1938 an underground Area Combined Headquarters was built close to Admiralty House to accommodate the Commander-in-Chief together with the local Air Officer Commanding and their respective staffs; similar headquarters were built close to the other Royal Dockyards. During the Second World War, the Nore station assumed great importance: it was used to guard the east coast convoys supplying the ports of North Eastern England.[1]

With the onset of the Cold War, the station and command diminished in importance as the navy decreased in size. The Nore Command was finally closed on 31 March 1961.[4] The underground Headquarters went on to serve as a Royal Naval Reserve training and communications centre (HMS Wildfire) from 1964-1994.[1]

Commanders-in-Chief

Commanders-in-Chief have included:[5][6][7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Area Combined Headquarters Chatham & HMS Wildfire
  2. ↑ Royal Naval events
  3. ↑ Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 17 December, 1906. Issue 38205, col D, p. 10
  4. ↑ Sea Your History
  5. ↑ Whitaker's Almanacks 1869 - 1961
  6. ↑ William Loney RN
  7. ↑ Royal Navy Flag Officers 1904-1975
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