Difference between revisions of "H.M.S. Excellent (Gunnery Training School)"

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*{{CommRN}} Geoffrey Smith, June, 1830.<ref name=Young161>Young.  ''The House that Jack Built''.  p. 161.</ref>
 
*{{CommRN}} Geoffrey Smith, June, 1830.<ref name=Young161>Young.  ''The House that Jack Built''.  p. 161.</ref>
 
*{{CaptRN}} Sir Thomas Hastings, April, 1832.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*{{CaptRN}} Sir Thomas Hastings, April, 1832.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain Henry D. Chads, August, 1845.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain Henry D. Chads, August, 1845.<ref name=Young161/> (1 July, 1847)<ref>''Navy List'' (June, 1849).  p. 138.</ref>  
 
*Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, January, 1854.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, January, 1854.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain R. S. Hewlett, June, 1857.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain Richard S. Hewlett, June, 1857.<ref name=Young161/> (31 December, 1859)<ref>''Navy List'' (March, 1861).  p. 165.</ref>
 
*Captain [[Astley Cooper Key]], June, 1863.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain [[Astley Cooper Key]], June, 1863.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain [[Arthur William Acland Hood, First Baron Hood|Arthur W. A. Hood]], September, 1866.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain [[Arthur William Acland Hood, First Baron Hood|Arthur W. A. Hood]], September, 1866.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain Henry Boys, July, 1869.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain Henry Boys, July, 1869.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain [[Thomas Brandreth]], May, 1874.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain [[Thomas Brandreth]], 18 May, 1874.<ref>''Navy List'' (June, 1875).  p. 144.</ref>
 
*Captain F. A. Herbert, 1 January, 1877.<ref>''Navy List'' (December, 1878).  p. 210.</ref>
 
*Captain F. A. Herbert, 1 January, 1877.<ref>''Navy List'' (December, 1878).  p. 210.</ref>
 
*Captain [[John Ommanney Hopkins|John O. Hopkins]], March, 1880.<ref name=Young161/>
 
*Captain [[John Ommanney Hopkins|John O. Hopkins]], March, 1880.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain W. Codrington, June, 1881.<ref name=Young161/>
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*Captain W. Codrington, 21 June, 1881.<ref>''Navy List'' (December, 1881).  p. 210.</ref>
 
*Captain [[John Arbuthnot Fisher, First Baron Fisher|John A. Fisher]], 6 April, 1883.<ref name=FisherRecord>Fisher Service Record.  The National Archives.  ADM 196/15.  p. 9.</ref>
 
*Captain [[John Arbuthnot Fisher, First Baron Fisher|John A. Fisher]], 6 April, 1883.<ref name=FisherRecord>Fisher Service Record.  The National Archives.  ADM 196/15.  p. 9.</ref>
 
*Captain [[Compton Edward Domvile|Compton E. Domvile]], 1 November, 1886.<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Friday, 15 October, 1886.  Issue '''31891''', col E, pg. 6.</ref><ref name=FisherRecord/>
 
*Captain [[Compton Edward Domvile|Compton E. Domvile]], 1 November, 1886.<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Friday, 15 October, 1886.  Issue '''31891''', col E, pg. 6.</ref><ref name=FisherRecord/>

Revision as of 11:50, 16 December 2010

H.M.S. Excellent in 1869.
Captain and Staff of Excellent, 1884.
Captain and Staff, 1909.
Junior Staff Officer W. W. Fisher observing drill on a gun.

H.M.S. Excellent, also known as Portsmouth Gunnery School or Whale Island was the British Royal Navy's main gunnery training establishment for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

History

The foundation of a gunnery school in the Royal Navy has been attributed to Sir John Bechell and Captain William L. Bowles who had deplored the poor standard of gunnery which could be found after the War of 1812.[1] In 1830 Commander George Smith, having suggested the creation of a gunnery establishment, was directed by Admiral Sir George Cockburn to find a spot in Portsmouth Harbour where a ship could be moored and fire without inconvenience. Sir Byam Martin, Controller of the Navy, gave Smith permission to choose whatever old ship he needed for the purpose. The ship he chose was the Excellent which was already moored in the site desired by Smith. He was then appointed to the Excellent, in Cockburn's words, "for the purpose of establishing and carrying into effect a system of gunnery, for the instruction and information of the naval service in that branch of their duty."[2] In 1832 Captain Thomas Hastings succeeded Smith and remained in command until 1845, when he was succeeded by Captain Henry Ducie Chads.[3] The Excellent, formerly Collingwood's ship at St. Vincent, was broken up in 1834 and replaced by the Boyne, which was in turn replaced by the Queen Charlotte in 1859, both ships being renamed Excellent.[4]

Commanding Officers

Dates of appointment given:

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Lloyd. The Origins of H.M.S. Excellent. pp. 194-195.
  2. ↑ "Naval Gunnery" (News). The Times. Friday, 20 August, 1841. Issue 17754, col F, pg. 3.
  3. ↑ Clowes. History of the Royal Navy. VI. p. 203.
  4. ↑ Lloyd. The Origins of H.M.S. Excellent. p. 196.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 Young. The House that Jack Built. p. 161.
  6. ↑ Navy List (June, 1849). p. 138.
  7. ↑ Navy List (March, 1861). p. 165.
  8. ↑ Navy List (June, 1875). p. 144.
  9. ↑ Navy List (December, 1878). p. 210.
  10. ↑ Navy List (December, 1881). p. 210.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/15. p. 9.
  12. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 15 October, 1886. Issue 31891, col E, pg. 6.
  13. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 4 June, 1890. Issue 33029, col E, pg. 10.
  14. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 13 June, 1893. Issue 33976, col E, pg. 10.
  15. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 13 June, 1894. Issue 34289, col G, pg. 11.
  16. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 9 November, 1895. Issue 34730, col E, pg. 10.
  17. ↑ May Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 860.
  18. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 29 December, 1900. Issue 36338, col C, pg. 9.
  19. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 26 February, 1903. Issue 37014, col C, pg. 5.
  20. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 31 January, 1905. Issue 37618, col E, pg. 6.
  21. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 10 June, 1907. Issue 38355, col B, pg. 6.
  22. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 21 July, 1910. Issue 39330, col E, pg. 4.
  23. ↑ "New Director of Naval Ordnance" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 21 March, 1912. Issue 39904, col F, pg. 4.
  24. ↑ Navy List (December, 1914). p. 314.
  25. ↑ Navy List (November, 1917). p. 393r.
  26. ↑ Navy List (December, 1918). p. 791.

Bibliography

  • Lloyd, Christopher (1955). "The Origins of H.M.S. Excellent". The Mariner's Mirror 41 (3): pp. 193-197.
  • Template:BibYoungJack

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