HMS Caledonia (base)

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.

His Majesty’s Ship Caledonia
Near Rosyth, Fife in Scotland
HMS Caledonia
HMS Caledonia Location within the Kingdom of Fife
Coordinates	56°1′56″N 3°26′54″W
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

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

• Armed forces in Scotland
• Military history of Scotland

Footnotes

1. "Secret Scotland - HMS Caledonia". www.secretscotland.org.uk. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
2. "In pictures: Prince Philip visiting Dunfermline". Dunfermline Press. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
3. "The Monthly Naval List for September 1939" (PDF). Scottish National Archives. August 1939. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
4. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1919-1939". naval-history.net. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
5. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War II, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
6. "Completed acquisition by Babcock International Group plc of Devonport Management Limited" (PDF). Office of Fair Trading. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
7. "OCAAA". www.ocaaa.org. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
8. Ali Gibson (18 November 2016). "Where To Home Scotland's Baseless Troops". Forces Network. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
9. Smith, Craig. "Fears highlighted over future of MOD Caledonia base in Fife". The Courier. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
10. "MP says closure is 'still on the cards' at HMS Caledonia". Dunfermline Press. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
11. "MOD Caledonia". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
12. "MoD Cuts: The Royal Navy". Forces Network. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
13. "Disposal database: House of Commons report". Retrieved 12 July 2022.
14. "Rosyth site secure after transfer back to Royal Navy". Royal Navy. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
15. "MOD Caledonia - Rosyth". wikimapia.org. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
16. Smith, Craig. "New Commanding Officer at Fife-based HMS Scotia celebrates 'career ambition realised'". The Courier. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
17. "Sea Cadet Training Centre Caledonia". British Rowing. Retrieved 6 May 2021.