 The Petty Officer in charge meets trainee Belgian sailors as they arrive at HMSRoyal Arthur, Skegness, Lincolnshire. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMSRoyal Arthur |
| Commissioned |
|
| Decommissioned |
|
| Fate |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Stone frigate |
HMSRoyal Arthur was ashore establishment of theRoyal Navy, initially atIngoldmells nearSkegness, and later atCorsham,Wiltshire. During the Second World War, the former holiday camp at Ingoldmells was used to mainly train 'Hostilities Only' (for the duration of the war only) communications branch ratings and officers (signalmen, telegraphists, coders and wireless operators).
Shortly after the start of theSecond World War, theAdmiralty requisitioned theButlins holiday camp atIngoldmells nearSkegness to be the firstRoyal Arthurstone frigate (land based establishment). It was commissioned as a training establishment on 22 September 1939.
Over 4000 naval personnel were based at Royal Arthur at one time. In 1942 a lowflying German bomber wrecked dozens of the chalets and killed four men.
It served throughout the Second World War as the central reception depot for new naval recruits afterHMSRaleigh was transferred to the British Army in February 1944.Royal Arthur continued in service until being paid off in 1946.
The establishment was recommissioned on 2 January 1947 in Westwells Road,Corsham as a leadership training establishment, and one of several assessment camps where new recruits were assessed, kitted out and sent to their various depots.[1]
The last recruits arrived on 31 October 1949 and on 15 March 1950 it ceased to be used for trainingNational Service inductees and concentrated on leadership training ofPetty Officers at the instigation ofLord Louis Mountbatten.[1][2]The name was then transferred to the recently paid off Camp Kingsmoor on 16 March 1950. The camp continued in service until the last trainees left on 11 December 1992 and personnel finally left on 5 March 1993.[3]
The site suffered heavy vandalism since its abandonment and in 2014 the site was demolished to build a retirement home complex, complete with a spa and restaurant.[4]
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