Admiralty Mining Establishment
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The Admiralty Mining Establishment originally known as the Mine Design Department was a technical department of the British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
responsible for both the design of
naval mines A naval mine is a self-contained explosive weapon placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Similar to anti-personnel and other land mines, and unlike purpose launched naval depth charges, they are deposited and le ...
and the development of suitable countermeasures from 1915 to 1951


History

A mining department was originally established at the Admiralty in 1915, in 1919 the name was changed to the ''Mine Design Department'' (MDD) based at
HMS Vernon Two ships and a training establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS ''Vernon'', possibly after Admiral Edward Vernon: * was a 14-gun armed ship listed between 1781 and 1782. * was a 50-gun fourth rate launched in 1832. She becam ...
in Portsmouth. In 1946, after being dispersed to various places during the war, in keeping with many technical departments it employed both military and highly skilled, civilian personnel. It was partly located near
HMNB Portsmouth His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is loc ...
at West Leigh House,
Havant Havant ( ) is a town in the south-east corner of Hampshire, England. Nearby places include Portsmouth to the south-west, Southampton to the west, Waterlooville to north, Chichester to the east and Hayling Island to the south. The wider borough ...
as the Admiralty Mining Establishment (AME). In 1951, its role changed significantly as it was merged into a new larger department called the Underwater Counter measures and Weapon Establishment (UCWE). The UCWE was itself merged into the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, Portland in 1959.


Notable personnel

''During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it recruited a number of scientists to its ranks many of them went on to become highly regarded in their respective fields including;'' * David Bates * Robert Boyd *
Francis Crick Francis Harry Compton Crick (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the Nucleic acid doub ...
, *
Thomas Gaskell Thomas Frohock Gaskell (January 26, 1916 - 1995), or T. F. Gaskell, was a British oceanographer and geophysicist. He is known for his work relating to the seabed, currents, and the ocean's influence on climate, and for his role in the discovery o ...
* John Gunn *
Harrie Massey Sir Harrie Stewart Wilson Massey (16 May 1908 – 27 November 1983) was an Australian mathematical physicist who worked primarily in the fields of atomic and atmospheric physics. A graduate of the University of Melbourne and the University ...
*
Nevill Mott Sir Nevill Francis Mott (30 September 1905 – 8 August 1996) was a British physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1977 for his work on the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems, especially amorphous semiconductor ...
.


Timeline

*
Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...
, Admiralty, Mining Department, 1915-1919. * Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Mine Design Department, 1919-1951. * Board of Admiralty, Underwater Counter measures and Weapon Establishment, 1951-1959. * Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, 1959-1964. *
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
, Navy Department, Underwater Weapons Establishment, Portland, 1964-1984.


See also

*
HMS Vernon (shore establishment) HMS ''Vernon'' was a shore establishment or "stone frigate" of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. ''Vernon'' was established on 26 April 1876, as the Royal Navy's Torpedo Branch also known as the Torpedo School, named after the ship which served a ...


References


Further reading

*John Frayn Turner 'Service Most Silent' (book)


External links


UK National Archives leaflet on Royal Navy research and development
*

{{Admiralty Department, state=collapsed Admiralty departments Mine warfare and mine clearance organizations Admiralty during World War I Admiralty during World War II 1915 establishments in the United Kingdom 1951 disestablishments in the United Kingdom