RN Shore Establishments

After extensive research, JPW has come up with a list of Royal Navy Shore Establishments as shown below. As with his list Barracks in Schleswig Holstein, any information that might be out there will be most welcome. Especially helpful would be actual locations within named areas.

For example, it is listed that HMS Royal Albert was in the former Kriegsmarine Base in Cuxhaven for a time, and HMS Royal Alfred was in Ploen in what was to become Connaught Barracks.

Paul.

ROYAL NAVY GERMANY
There was a significant Royal Navy presence in the then British Zone of Occupation in the period immediately following the German Surrender in May 1945. There follows a list of the Royal Navy Shore Establishments so far identified from open sources (the internet or public libraries), it is believed this list includes all the significant ports along the North Sea and Baltic coastline within the British Zone of Occupation with the exception of Husum (on the North Sea) and Kappeln (on the Baltic), but the latter may have been included in the tasks for the unit based in nearby Eckernforde. It should be noted that Bremen and Bremerhaven were in the American Zone.

These Shore Establishments might be regarded as the equivalent of Army Garrisons or Barrack names. They followed the theme of Princess or Royal names previously carried by 17th or 18th Century battleships. The majority of establishments had closed by the end of 1946, Wilhemshaven by the end of 1947. The Royal Navy presence in Cuxhaven, Hamburg and Kiel ended in the mid 1950s whilst HMS Royal Prince at Krefeld remained till the early 1960s.

Operation Eclipse was the British Plan for the situation immediately after the German Surrender and the creation of the British Zone of Occupation. The Naval Plans included the initial reception and surrender of all German naval vessels, the disarming and dispersal of all naval personnel, the identification and clearance of all maritime minefields and most importantly the destruction of any facility that might enable Germany to challenge the supremacy of the Royal Navy in European waters.

Manpower for the individual locations was provided, in accordance with Royal Navy practice, in the form of Naval Parties numbered in the Series 1700-1899 and varied in size from 145 Officers and 693 Ratings (Hamburg) to 5 Officers and 32 Ratings (Sylt)reflecting the size and complexity of the role and tasks. This is the subject of a separate study.

HMS ROYAL ADELAIDE - TONNING
HMS PRINCESS ALEXANDRA - FLENSBURG
HMS PRINCESS ALICE - ECKERNFORDE
HMS PRINCESS AUGUSTA
HMS PRINCESS IRENE - BERLIN
HMS PRINCESS LOUISE - BRUNSBUTTEL
HMS ROYAL ALBERT - MINDEN/HAMBURG/CUXHAVEN
HMS ROYAL ALFRED - PLOEN
HMS ROYAL CAROLINE - LUBECK/TRAVEMUNDE
HMS ROYAL CHARLOTTE (NAVAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT)
HMS ROYAL EDGAR - HAMBURG
HMS ROYAL HAROLD - KIEL
HMS ROYAL HENRY - MINDEN
HMS ROYAL KATHERINE - WILHEMSHAVEN
HMS ROYAL PRINCE - EMDEN
HMS ROYAL PRINCE - KREFELD
HMS ROYAL RUPERT - WILHEMSHAVEN
RN/RM ELBE FLOTILLA/SQUADRON - HAMBURG
RN/RM RHINE FLOTILLA/SQUADRON - KREFELD
1 COMMANDO BRIGADE ROYAL MARINES
4 COMMANDO BRIGADE ROYAL MARINES
117 INFANTRY BRIGADE ROYAL MARINES
ROYAL MARINES DEMOLITION UNIT/SPECIAL BOAT SECTION
BRITISH BALTIC FISHERY PROTECTION SERVICE

HELP WANTED
1. It is known that the principal Naval HQ IN Germany at the end of World War2 was Headquarters Allied Command Naval Expeditionary Force Europe (ANCXF) in May 1945 but was subsequently renamed to reflect its British role but this again altered over the years. Similarly the exact location is believed to have changed. Minden, Hamburg, Kiel and Koln (linked to JHQ Rheindahlen) are known to be places but exact dates are unclear.

2. The exact title of the senior Royal Navy Appointment in Germany is unclear. In Summer 1945 it is understood that the title was Commander Allied Naval Expeditionary Force, subsequently both the terms “Commander Royal Navy (Germany)” and ”Flag Officer Germany” may have been used.

JPW

"HMS ROYAL RUPERT - WILHEMSHAVEN"

Interesting, I suppose that's how Prince Rupert's School got it's name.

jim wrote:

"HMS ROYAL RUPERT - WILHEMSHAVEN"

Interesting, I suppose that's how Prince Rupert's School got it's name.

Jim,

http://baor-locations.com/PrinceRupertSchool.aspx

Paul.

My father served in HMS Princess Louise from Dec'45 to Dec'46. He was a Tmpy Elec Lt RNVR and specialised in degausing Ships. Not sure if this was his role in Brunsbuttel. I have a number of photographs and names of others who also served. Is this the appropriate place to post them? John

http://www.naval-history.net/xBW-RNNavalParties.htm

Lists former and recent historical Naval Parties and where their base of operations were.  Such include the named Ships listed by JPW above and other parties with salvage, exploratory, intelligence, PoW handling, dock yard and facility re-building roles in the early post war years of the British occupation of Germany.  Often the differing branches of the armed forces needed expertise from another arm to recover, identify, classify or utilise what had been found.

Resumé of RN Activities that got them to Germany:

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/LondonGazette/38171.html

though the pedigree and land home (Krefeld-Uerdingen) of the Rhine Flotilla is still outstanding.

Admiralty Fleet Orders: