In October it was reported that the complement of the RMAS (Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service) at Portsmouth was:
Officers - 110 in various departments of Deck, Engineering, Diving and Electrical including 14... more information
The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust was set up to take on the lease of the Heritage Area ( in the Naval Base) that was to become known as Portsmouth Historic... more information
16th June. Arrival of HMS “Warrior”, (1860) ironclad, and the only surviving British battleship. She had suffered years of neglect since being laid up in 1883 for use as part of HMS ... more information
2nd June 1987. Change in the production system of management. The titles of Foremen, Inspectors and Chargemen of Trades were abolished; they became Professional Technical Officers (PTO’s). Foremen of Trades... more information
19th October. HMS Swiftsure became the First Nuclear Submarine to be dry docked at Portsmouth
in C Lock. The Lock and dock side were specially adapted to cater for the... more information
26th May. Round the Basin Race. 157 runners took part in a race around No.3 Basin ( a distance of 1½ miles) to raise money for Queen Alexandra Hospital Body Scanner Appeal. The... more information
21st January. The last underwater dive by a dockyard diver using the standard diving dress was made by Mr. Eric Walker in the waters of No.10 Dry Dock at the... more information
May. The last Steam driven vessel in the RMAS in this country is paid off. YC484 was a Dumb class mooring and salvage vessel built at Bolsons shipyard in Poole... more information
May. No. 2. Basin re-opened. Admiral Sir William Staveley, First Sea Lord, unveiled a commemorative plaque that officially re-opened No.2 Basin. With the closure of HMS Vernon, Mine Counter Measures Vessels ... more information
May saw the closure of the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Priddy’s Hard, ending 250 years of service. The 25 acre site was offered to the Gosport Bough Council.
Unveiling of “Sirius” sculpture in Cascades Shopping Centre. This sculpture was given by Ku-ring-gai Council, Australia and commemorates both the ship (see 1939-45, &1963) and the sailing of the First... more information
26th March. H.M. submarine Upholder was dry docked in C Lock. She was the first of the class that consisted of four boats. They were conventional submarines designated Type 2400.... more information
In November, the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust announce Plans to spend over £2,000,000 on The Porters Lodge, a new Visitors Centre and No 7 Boathouse.
12th October. Rear-Admiral Neil Rankin succeeded Rear-Admiral David Bawtree as Flag Officer Portsmouth and Naval Base Commander. He was destined to be the last Rear-Admiral to hold this Office; its... more information
25th March. The new Victory building was opened. This was the Headquarters of the Second Sea Lord and his Staff who had been moved from London and integrated with CINCNAVHOME.
April. HMS Vernon the Navy’s mine and diving school closed. It had been transferred to the Royal Navy from the War Department in 1923, although the Royal Navy had made... more information
31st July. HMS Daedalus, the Royal Naval Air Station at Lee-on-the-Solent, closes. It started life in 1917 during the First World War when the Royal Naval Air Service was in its... more information
23rd February. Vosper Thornycroft signed an agreement to begin a 125 year lease of part of the Naval Base.
28th February. The Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation (FMRO) was taken over... more information
7th September. The Offshore Patrol Vessel (Helicopter) HMS Clyde was named by Mrs Lesley Hunt. HMS CLYDE was built in the Vosper Thornycroft shipbuilding complex on the site of No.13... more information
2nd May. Bow section of the new Type 45 destroyer Diamond leaves Portsmouth for BAE (Systems, Surface Fleet Solutions), Govan, Scotland.
The 50 metre section left VT Shipbuilding Complex,Portsmouth on the ... more information
25th July. Ministry of Defence confirmed the building of the two proposed super aircraft carriers to be named Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales at a cost of £3.8 billion, parts... more information
3rd July. The contract for building the two new super carriers, to be called Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales was signed today on board the aircraft carrier HMS Ark... more information
28th January. HMS Daring the first of the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 destroyers entered Portsmouth Naval Base at 1320. Large crowds had gathered to see her as she passed the... more information
2nd & 3rd February. It was announced in the News that the wreck of 100 gun ship-of-the-line, HMS Victory, had been found by the Florida-based firm of Odyssey Marine Exploration. This 100... more information
‘Navy Days’ were a tradition dating back to the 1920’s when the Royal Dockyards were open to the public for ‘Navy Week’. These events were held every year (except during... more information
A 170 year old figurehead of naval hero Admiral Lord Nelson had it’s right eye removed during a makeover. The alteration has been made to the bust in the dockyard... more information
A Royal Navy chef who burgled a shop in Portsmouth Dockyard before setting light to it was sentenced to three years in military prison. ... He was charged with burglary and... more information
It was announced that ship building in the Dockyard will end. BAE Systems said they would relocate to Scotland. Almost 1,000 jobs were put at risk but workers still managed to... more information
Work by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to ready Portsmouth Naval Base for the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers is well underway. As part of the project... more information
