MoD Caledonia

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Ministry of Defence Caledonia
Near Rosyth, Kingdom of Fife in Scotland
HMS Caledonia badge.jpg
Badge of HMS Caledonia
Ministry of Defence badge
MoD Caledonia is located in Fife
MoD Caledonia
MoD Caledonia
Location within the Kingdom of Fife
Coordinates56°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
TypeMilitary supply base
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Navy
Controlled byDefence Infrastructure Organisation
ConditionOperational
Site history
Built(current) 1996 (1996)
In use1996-present

Ministry of Defence Caledonia (MoD Caledonia) is a military establishment of the Ministry of Defence based at 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 paid 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 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]

Based units[]

  • Royal Navy
    • Headquarters, HMS Scotia[13][14]
    • Royal Naval Support Establishment HMS Caledonia[13]
    • Royal Navy Careers Headquarters (North)[13]
    • Royal Naval Acquaint Centre (Northern)[13]
    • Naval Regional Command Scotland and Northern Ireland (NRCSNI)[13]
    • Directorate of Naval Shore Telecommunications (North)[13]
  • Royal Marines
    • Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, Scotland[13]
  • Royal Air Force
  • RAF Training and Evaluation Support Team[13]
  • No. 1 Specialist Police Wing RAF[13]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ "Secret Scotland - HMS Caledonia". www.secretscotland.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. ^ "In pictures: Prince Philip visiting Dunfermline". Dunfermline Press. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  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 2021-05-06.
  5. ^ "Royal Navy Orgnisation in World War II, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  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 2021-05-06.
  8. ^ a b c at 3:18pm, Ali Gibson 18th November 2016. "Where To Home Scotland's Baseless Troops". Forces Network. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  9. ^ Smith, Craig. "Fears highlighted over future of MOD Caledonia base in Fife". The Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  10. ^ "MP says closure is 'still on the cards' at HMS Caledonia". Dunfermline Press. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  11. ^ "MOD Caledonia". TheyWorkForYou. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  12. ^ "MoD Cuts: The Royal Navy". Forces Network. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "MOD Caledonia - Rosyth". wikimapia.org. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  14. ^ Smith, Craig. "New Commanding Officer at Fife-based HMS Scotia celebrates 'career ambition realised'". The Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  15. ^ "Sea Cadet Training Centre Caledonia". British Rowing. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
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