Department of the Director of Dockyards facts for kids
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1872 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Dissolved | 1964 |
| Superseding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | Admiralty London |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent department | Admiralty |
The Department of the Director of Dockyards was an important part of the British Admiralty. It was also known as the Dockyard Branch. From 1872 to 1964, this department was in charge of managing the naval dockyards.
Its main jobs included building new ships and keeping existing ships in good shape. It also looked after all the people who worked in the dockyards. This department played a key role in making sure the Royal Navy had the ships it needed.
History of the Dockyard Department
In the past, the Navy Board was responsible for managing the Royal Navy Dockyards. A person called the Surveyor of the Navy oversaw this work. However, in 1832, the Navy Board was closed down. Its duties then moved to the Board of Admiralty.
The way dockyards were managed changed over time. From 1850 to 1861, a special group looked into how the dockyards were run. They found that the system was not working very well. To fix these problems, a new role was created in 1872: the Surveyor of Dockyards. This person was meant to improve how the dockyards operated.
In 1885, the role of Surveyor of Dockyards was replaced. A new position called the Director of Dockyards was created instead. The new Director had to visit the dockyards often. Their job was to talk with the managers and workers about the ships being built or repaired.
Over the years, the department's name and responsibilities changed a few times. In 1892, it became the Director of Dockyards and Works. Then, in 1913, it was renamed Director of Dockyards and Repair.
During and after World War I, more changes happened. From 1917 to 1919, a new role was added: the Deputy Controller for Dockyards and Shipbuilding. The Director of Dockyards and Repairs reported to this new leader.
The department kept the name Director of Dockyards and Repair until 1957. Then, it was renamed the Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department. It was led by a Director-General until 1964. After that, the Admiralty joined a bigger government department called the Ministry of Defence. The dockyard department was renamed again to the Department of Dockyards and Maintenance.
What the Department Did
The Director of Dockyards and their team had many important duties. These included:
- Helping to plan the money needed for tools and machines in all naval places.
- Controlling how money was spent at naval dockyards in the UK.
- Controlling how money was spent at naval dockyards overseas.
- Managing the dockyards in the UK and naval yards abroad.
- Making sure the dockyards worked efficiently and saved money.
- Creating yearly plans for work to be done in the dockyards.
- Helping to prepare the Navy's budget, which decided what work the dockyards would do.
- Deciding how many workers were needed and how much they would be paid.
- Making sure enough materials were available for building ships.
- Suggesting new building projects needed in the yards.
- Overseeing the building of all types of ships and boats.
- Making sure ships and their engines were properly maintained and repaired.
- Providing and teaching how to use new machines and tools in the yards and factories.
This department managed many important naval dockyards around the world. These included major yards in the UK like Chatham Yard, Devonport Yard, and Portsmouth Yard. They also managed yards in other parts of the world, such as Malta Yard and Singapore Yard.
