RNADC Kete / HMS Harrier, Pembrokeshire

[Carnaby]

In a state of totally stone cold sober I attempted to trace the naming of Kete.

On 1 May 1943 HMS Goldcrest was formed at Angle. The accounts were administered by HMS Vulture (St Merryn). Between 5 and 7 September 1943 Angle and Dale airfields were swapped (FAA/ RAF).

{Dale became self accounting as Goldcrest, then was paid off 31.10.48}

In Dec 1946 HMS Vector was the Sheerness Radar School. One year later it merged into HMS Wildfire (Sheerness / Brightlingsea)

Vector was then allocated to Kete - but it didn't happen.

In Feb 1948 Kete came off the books of Goldcrest and became HMS Harrier (Harrier had been a torpedo / gunboat)

In September 1949 Wildfire's training went to Harrier.

In July 1960 Kete moved to HMS Dryad (Southwick Park)and HMS Heron (Yeovilton).

Harrier was then allocated to a Diesel Harbour Launch.

Source: Warlow, Lt Cdr B, RN, 2000. Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy. An excellent reference in which the author readily admits that a lot of things just don't make sense. ( It seems that often the name of a sunk ship was reallocated to another ship / shore establishment), only to find later that the ship hadn't sunk, or someone in another department had already reallocated the name. If only they had Lotus 123 / Excel in those days.

[PNK]

I'm sure I read somewhere that each shorebased ship name should have a real boat of some sort with that name at the same time.

[Carnaby]

I'm sure I read somewhere that each shorebased ship name should have a real boat of some sort with that name at the same time.

That can't be right, so I thought - but yes it was. The book quotes a 27 foot boat with a 'crew' of several hundred officers and men. The original idea stemmed from the 18th century principle that if you were in the Navy you'd be part of a ship - there were no shore establishments - you lived on a ship. Hence your place of work / address (in order to get paid) had to be HMS something-or-other. However at the beginning of Ben Warlow's fine book, he has a four page preface devoted to the anomolies, fallacies and intricacies of this system. The words 'but', 'however' 'problem' 'sometimes' 'confusingly' etc appear regularly.

[PNK]

Yes I forgot to add that by "boat" is was usually something small. I get the impression that at the TNA all the documents that help make sense of the whole file have been removed

If I find the reference I will add it, but to a new thread.

[Rerun57]

Have a look at this local history website. There may be the odd nugget you have not seen yet.

http://www.dale-coastlands-history.o...ryactivity.htm

Edit: And this!

http://www.experiencepembrokeshire.c...t-and-raf-kete

Edit: And this!

http://cloudobservers.co.uk/wp-conte...r-Memories.pdf

Also do a search with the term "Kete" on the Pembrokeshire Record Office catalogue, then if you are in Wales you could pop in!

http://records.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/...w/default.aspx

[mawganmad]

Excellent finds Rerun57, thanks.
Great to see the Pembrokshire files so well organised and searchable now, hopefully this approach will spread throughout Wales.

[PNK]

Yes, those link are very good. The Experience site doesn't appear to have any contact details as I wanted to ask for the source of one of their pictures.