HMS Fisgard (shore establishment) facts for kids
An engine room artificer at work during the Second World War.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Fisgard |
| In service |
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| Fate | Operational elements merged with HMS Raleigh |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Stone frigate |
HMS Fisgard was a special training base for the Royal Navy, the United Kingdom's navy. It was called a "shore establishment," which means it was a land-based naval facility, not a ship that sailed. Fisgard was active at different times and places between 1848 and 1983. Its main job was to train skilled workers called artificers and engineers for the Navy. These roles were very important for keeping naval ships and their engines running.
Contents
The First Fisgard Base
The name Fisgard was first used for a training base in 1848. This first base was actually an old warship named HMS Fisgard. She was a 46-gun frigate, a type of sailing warship.
A Ship Becomes a School
This old Fisgard ship was used as a "depot ship" at Woolwich. This means she was a floating base that supported other ships and activities in the harbour. From 1848, she started training engineers and helping those who worked on land.
Between 1853 and 1873, she also served as the main ship for the Royal Naval Coast Volunteers. This first training facility closed in 1872. The old Fisgard ship herself was taken apart in 1879.
Fisgard Returns to Service
The idea of having a special place to train engineers for the Navy came back. This was because ships were becoming much more mechanical. Admiral Sir John Fisher, a very important naval leader, pushed for this.
Why New Training Was Needed
In the early 1900s, Admiral Fisher worried that the German Navy was getting better at technology. He wanted the Royal Navy to stay ahead. So, he started a program to train engineers and artificers. Artificers are highly skilled technicians who work on engines and other complex machinery.
Within two years, the Navy set up training centers at its main bases: Chatham, Plymouth, and Portsmouth.
The Portsmouth Training Centre
The Portsmouth training center opened in 1904. It was made up of several old warships that were no longer used for fighting. These old ships were called "hulks." The first hulk used was the old battleship HMS Audacious. This center was named HMS Fisgard to remember the earlier training base at Woolwich.
Other hulks joined Audacious:
- HMS Invincible became HMS Fisgard II in 1906.
- HMS Hindustan became HMS Fisgard III in 1905.
- HMS Sultan became HMS Fisgard IV in 1906.
All these hulks officially became HMS Fisgard on January 1, 1906.
Changes to the Hulks
Over time, some of these hulks left the Fisgard group.
- Audacious left in 1914 to become a repair ship.
- Invincible also left in 1914 for the same reason but sank while being towed.
New ships took their places:
- HMS Spartiate replaced Audacious as Fisgard in 1915.
- HMS Hercules replaced Invincible as Fisgard II in 1915.
- HMS Terrible joined in 1919 and became Fisgard III when Hindustan left in 1920.
Moving to Chatham and World War II
The training program was very successful. By the early 1920s, it had grown to include training for electrical and weapons artificers. All the training was brought together at Fisgard in Portsmouth.
Moving Ashore
In 1930, the entire Fisgard operation moved from the old hulks to a land-based site in Chatham. By July 1932, all the hulks were sold, except for Fisgard IV (the old HMS Sultan). She was kept as a depot ship and renamed HMS Sultan.
Wartime Expansion
Fisgard stayed at Chatham until 1939. When World War II began, more apprentices were needed. Also, there was a risk of German bombs. So, the training was split up.
Two new training bases were opened in October 1940:
- One in Rosyth, Scotland, named HMS Caledonia.
- One in Torpoint, Cornwall, called RNATE (Royal Navy Artificer Training Establishment) Torpoint.
RNATE Torpoint officially became HMS Fisgard in December 1946. HMS Sultan remained a depot ship until she was sold in August 1946.
After the War
After World War II, by the late 1940s, all artificer training was brought back together at Fisgard. This included training for shipwrights (who build and repair ships) and Fleet Air Arm apprentices (who work on naval aircraft).
How Training Changed
Before 1946, Fleet Air Arm apprentices would start at HMS Daedalus. Then they would go to either RNATE Torpoint or HMS Caledonia for a year. After that, they would finish their training at HMS Condor in Scotland.
After 1946, a new system began. Fisgard became an independent command on December 1, 1946. By 1950, all new artificer apprentices started their training at HMS Fisgard. They spent 16 months there learning the basics of all the different trades.
After this initial training, they would go to other bases to specialize:
- HMS Collingwood for electrical work.
- HMS Condor for aircraft work.
- HMS Caledonia for engine room, ordnance (weapons), and shipwright work.
They spent their final year working as Leading Hand Artificers on a ship at sea.
Later Years and Closure
In the 1980s, further training for apprentices happened at:
- HMS Caledonia (later HMS Sultan) for Marine Engineering.
- HMS Collingwood for Weapons Electrical engineering.
- HMS Daedalus for Air Electrical Engineering.
HMS Fisgard continued to operate until December 21, 1983. At that point, it was combined with HMS Raleigh. Raleigh kept a "Fisgard squadron" to continue training artificers and engineers for a while. However, the Navy later decided to change how artificers were trained, and their separate role ended.
The Fisgard Museum
There was a museum for Artificer Apprentices at HMS Fisgard. When Fisgard closed in August 1983, the museum moved to HMS Raleigh. Later, in 1997, it moved again to HMS Sultan. It became part of the Marine Engineering Museum there, which also has records and items from HMS Caledonia. Even though many former artificers still call it the Fisgard Museum, its official name changed when it joined the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Museum.
