Royal Navy training establishment
Military unit
TheRoyal Naval College, Greenwich , was aRoyal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy'sstaff college , which provided advanced training for officers. The equivalent in theBritish Army was theStaff College, Camberley , and the equivalent in theRoyal Air Force was theRAF Staff College, Bracknell .
The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was founded by anOrder in Council dated 16 January 1873, and replaced most of the functions previously carried out by theRoyal Naval Academy at Portsmouth.[ 4] [ 5] chief of staff .[ 6]
TheRoyal Naval War College , which had been established at Greenwich in November 1900 before being removed to first Devonport and then Portsmouth, transferred its activities to the college at Greenwich in 1914.[ 7] World War I the Royal Naval College was requisitioned as a barracks and for scientific experiments. The training of officers was not resumed until 1919.[ 8]
On 30 October 1939 the college began to train officers of theWomen's Royal Naval Service .[ 9] Second World War , the college increased the number of officers of both sexes trained for an expanded Navy. Its major task was the training of fighting officers, and around 35,000 men and women graduated during that period. In 1943, the beautiful Admiral's House on the north wing of King Charles Court was damaged by a direct hit from a German bomb; another bomb hit the front of the building.[ 10]
The Navy's Department of Nuclear Science and Technology opened on the college premises in 1959, andJASON , the department's research and training reactor, was commissioned in the King William building in 1962.[ 11]
In 1967 QueenElizabeth II knightedFrancis Chichester on the river steps of the college, honouring his achievement in circumnavigating the world as a solo yachtsman, using the old route of theclippers , becoming the first to do so. His was also the fastest such circumnavigation, taking nine months and one day.[ 12]
TheRoyal School of Naval Architecture , which had been part of the college since 1873, transferred toUniversity College London in 1967.[ 13] Britannia Royal Naval College .[ 14]
From 1983 the relocatedJoint Services Defence College also occupied much of the King Charles building.[ 15] Britannia Royal Naval College ,[ 16] Joint Services Command and Staff College , created in 1997, took over thestaff college functions.[ 17]
The former chapel of the Royal Naval College The college was established in buildings designed bySir Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712, then intended to serve as theGreenwich Hospital , a home for disabled sailors. This closed in 1869, when the pensioners were transferred to other places, leaving the buildings available for a new use.[ 18] Palace of Placentia , or "Palace at Greenwich", begun byHumphrey, Duke of Gloucester , in 1428.[ 19]
After the Royal Navy departed in 1998 the buildings were opened to the public as theOld Royal Naval College .
See also Category:Admiral presidents of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich The president of the college was a full-time post until 1982 when it became an honorary role held by theSecond Sea Lord (and from 1994 an honorary role held by theAssistant Chief of the Naval Staff ).[ 20] [ 20]
Directors of Studies [ edit ] The following individuals served as Director of Studies:
Commodore Augustus Agar VC [ 22] Admiral of the Fleet David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (1871–1936)George Richard Bethell (1849–1919), Royal Navy officer and Conservative politicianAdmiralHugo Biermann (1916–2012), Chief of the South African Navy and the South African Defence Force Basil Charles Barrington Brooke (1895–1983), admiral and first-class cricketerSir Henry Harvey Bruce (1862–1948), admiralAdmiral of the FleetLord Cunningham of Hyndhope (1883–1963) Vice Admiral A. H. Asoka de Silva (1931–2006), Commander of the Navy of Sri Lanka from 1983 to 1986Vice Admiral Henry George DeWolf (1903–2000), Canadian naval officerAdmiral Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer (1878–1956)Admiral of the FleetPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021) AdmiralSir William Wordsworth Fisher (1875–1937) Prince Charles, Count of Flanders , Prince-Regent of BelgiumRear AdmiralMusharraf Hussain Khan (1932–2018), Chief of Bangladesh Navy Staff from 1973 to 1979 Admiral D. Basil Gunasekara (born 1929), Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 1973 to 1979Admiral Henry Perera , Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 1979 to 1983Hugh Alfred Vernon Haggard (1908–1991), Royal Navy submarinerAdmiral of the FleetLord Hill-Norton (1915–2004) Vice Admiral Sir J. G. T. Inglis (1906–1972), Head of Naval IntelligencePrince Abhakara Kiartivongse (1880–1923), of the Siamese royal family, a founder of modern Royal Thai NavyAdmiral of the Fleet Lord Lewin (1920–1999)Rear-Admiral Simon Robert Lister (born 1959), Royal Navy officer, now Director, SubmarinesDudley Leigh Aman, 1st Baron Marley (1884–1952), soldier and Labour politicianRear Admiral Sir David Martin (1933–1990), Royal Australian Navy officer and Governor of New South WalesVice AdmiralMark Mellett ,Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Admiral of the FleetEarl Mountbatten of Burma (1900–1979), last Viceroy of India, First Sea Lord, Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival (1887–1966)Marshal of the Royal Air Force Charles Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford (1893–1971), Chief of the Air StaffAdmiralSa Zhenbing (1859–1952), Premier of the Republic of China, Chief of the Republic of China Navy Prince Arisugawa Takehito (1862–1913), of the Japanese imperial family, a career officer in the Imperial Japanese NavyRear AdmiralDavid Watson Taylor (1864–1940), naval architect and engineer of the United States Navy Admiral of the FleetTōgō Heihachirō (1848–1934), Imperial Japanese Navy Admiral of the FleetLord Tovey (1885–1971) Sir Patrick Wall (1916–1998), Royal Marines commando and Conservative politicianJosiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood (1872–1943), Liberal and later Labour politicianSince decommissioning [ edit ] Now known as theOld Royal Naval College , the college's former buildings are open to the public and are the home of three attractions; thePainted Hall , the chapel, and the Discover Greenwich visitor centre. The site has also been used as a film location, appearing inSherlock Holmes [ 48] The Foreigner [ 49] Thor: The Dark World [ 50]
^ The Mariner's Mirror , vol. 52 (Society for Nautical Research, 1966), p. 150^ "Where Was the Only Nuclear Reactor to Be Constructed Inside a Listed Building?" . Historic England. Retrieved21 September 2024 .^ "Signs of the Past project video" (PDF) . Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Retrieved21 September 2024 .^ Lloyd, Christopher (1 May 1966)."The Royal Naval Colleges at Portsmouth and Greenwich" . The Society for Nautical Research. Retrieved7 July 2025 . ^ J. R. Hill,Bryan Ranft ,The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy (2002), p. 269 ^ Geoffrey Till, Bryan Ranft,The Development of British Naval Thinking (2006) ^ Hazell's Annual 1914 , p. 143^ Kevin Littlewood, Beverley Butler,Of Ships and Stars: Maritime Heritage and the Founding of the National Maritime Museum (1998), p. 43 ^ Marjorie H. Fletcher,The WRNS: A History of the Women's Royal Naval Service (1989), p. 115 ^ The Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College ^ Jason casts a cloud over naval college sale inThe Independent ^ 1967: Sir Francis Chichester sails home at BBC.co.uk^ J. R. Parkinson,The Economics of Shipbuilding in the United Kingdom (2011), p. 5 ^ "Wrens: History" . Archived fromthe original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved7 October 2013 .^ "National Maritime Museum Archive" .^ Robert Shannan Peckham,Rethinking Heritage: Cultures and Politics in Europe (2003), p. 18 ^ Ian F. W. Beckett,Discovering British Regimental Traditions (Osprey Publishing, 2007),p. 58 ^ Ann Stewart Balakier, James J. Balakier,The Spatial Infinite at Greenwich in Works by Christopher Wren (1995), p. i ^ Guy McDonald,England (2004), p. 125 ^a b Royal Navy Senior Appointments Archived 15 March 2012 at theWayback Machine at gulabin.com, accessed 9 October 2013^ Note: The duties of Admiral President would have carried out by the Captain of the College, Captain John Cecil Davis, during these War years ^a b 'Agar, Captain Augustus Willington Shelton', inWho Was Who 1961–1970 (London: A. & C. Black, 1979 reprint,ISBN 0-7136-2008-0 ^ 'Cairns, 5th Earl' inWho Was Who 1981–1990 (London: A. & C. Black, 1991,ISBN 0-7136-3336-0 ^ 'Gordon Lennox, Rear-Adm. Sir Alexander (Henry Charles)' inWho Was Who 1981–1990 (London: A. & C. Black, 1991,ISBN 0-7136-3336-0 ^ 'McGeoch, Vice-Adm. Sir Ian (Lachlan Mackay)' inWho's Who 2007 (London: A. & C. Black, 2006) ^ 'Lucey, Rear-Adm. Martin Noel' inWho Was Who 1991–1995 (London: A. & C. Black, 1996ISBN 0-7136-4496-6 ^ 'Ellis, Rear-Adm. Edward William' inWho Was Who 2001–2005 (London: A. & C. Black, 2006,ISBN 0-7136-7601-9 ^ 'Bazalgette, Rear-Adm. Derek Willoughby' inWho's Who 2007 (London: A. & C. Black, 2006) ^ 'Cooke, Rear-Adm. Anthony John', inWho's Who 2013 ^ 'Carlill, Rear Adm. John Hildred' inWho's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) ^ 'Cassels, Adm. Sir Simon (Alastair Cassillis)', inWho's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) ^ 'Fitch, Adm. Sir Richard (George Alison)', inWho Was Who 1991–1995 (London: A. & C. Black, 1996,ISBN 0-7136-4496-6 ^ 'Brown, Adm. Sir Brian (Thomas)', inWho's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) ^ Admiral Sir Michael Livesay The Telegraph, 9 October 2003^ 'Layard, Adm. Sir Michael (Henry Gordon)', inWho's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) ^ 'Brigstocke, Adm. Sir John (Richard)', inWho's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) ^ 'Blackham, Vice-Adm. Sir Jeremy (Joe)', inWho's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) ^ Flood, Raymond ; Rice, Adrian;Wilson, Robin (2011).Mathematics in Victorian Britain . p. 66.^ Niven, Sir William Davidson, ed. (1992).Who Was Who 1916–1928 (1992 reprint ed.). London: A. & C. Black.ISBN 0-7136-3143-0 ^ "Summary Guide" .kcl.ac.uk . Retrieved7 October 2013 .^ "Burnside, William (BNSD871W)" .A Cambridge Alumni Database . University of Cambridge.^ G. P. Sendeckyj,Int. Journal of Fatigue vol. 23 (2001), p. 347 ^ Entry for Lyons, Peter Stanley, inRegister of Twentieth Century Johnians, Volume I, 1900–1949 . St John's College, Cambridge. ^ "Laughton, John Knox (LTN848JK)" .A Cambridge Alumni Database . University of Cambridge.^ 'Lloyd, Charles Christopher', inWho Was Who 1981–1990 ISBN 0-7136-3336-0 ^ 'Professor Bryan Ranft: Historian of the Royal Navy', obituary inThe Guardian ^ 'A. W. Reinold', obituary inNature , issue 2687 dated 28 April 1921, vol. 107, p. 276 ^ "Sherlock Holmes" . Movie locations. Retrieved24 November 2018 .^ "The Foreigner" . Global Film Locations. 3 July 2017. Retrieved24 November 2018 .^ "Hollywood's rubbish Tube geography in Thor 2 is an unnecessary distraction" . New Statesman. 8 November 2013. Retrieved8 July 2014 .
Leadership Components
History Operating forces Fleet Ships Administration Senior officers Personnel Equipment Former
Direction and control Boards and offices under Direction of Secretariat and staff under Operational planning, policy Divisions and sections Offices of the Sea Lords Admiralty civil departments Admiralty Area Cash Offices Admiralty Central Dockyard Laboratory Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service Admiralty Compass Observatory Admiralty Constabulary Admiralty Constabulary Headquarters Admiralty Engineering Laboratory Admiralty Experimental Station Admiralty Experiment Works Admiralty Gunnery Establishment Admiralty Interview Board Admiralty Labour Department Admiralty Marine Technology Establishment Admiralty Materials Laboratory Admiralty Mine Design Department Admiralty Mining Establishment Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Regional Offices Admiralty Research Laboratory Admiralty Signal Establishment Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment Admiralty Surveying Service Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Launching Establishment Architectural and Engineering Works Department Air Equipment and Naval Photography Department Air Department Air Materiel Department Air Personnel Department Amphibious Warfare Headquarters Armament Supply Department Board of Invention and Research Board of Longitude Boom Defence Department Boom Defence and Marine Salvage Department Britannia Royal Naval College Chemical Board Chemical Department Civil Catering Department Civil Engineer in Chiefs Department Coastguard and Reserves Branch Combined Operations Headquarters Commissioner for Property and Income-tax for the Naval Department Compass Department Contract and Purchase Department Council of Naval Education Dental Examining Board Department of Radio Equipment Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy Department of Aeronautical and Engineering Research Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Department of Naval Assistant (Foreign) to Second Sea Lord Department of Naval Education Operational Research Department of Personal Services and Officer Appointments Department of Physical Research Department of Physical Training & Sports Department of Radio Equipment Department of Research Programmes and Planning Department of Superintendent of de-magnetisation Department of the Admiral of the Training Service Department of the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance Department of the Chief of Naval Information Department of the Chief Scientist Department of the Civil Engineer-in-Chief Department of the Comptroller of Steam Machinery Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services Department of the Controller of the Navy Department of the Controller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Controller for Navy Pay Department of the Deputy Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding Department of the Deputy Controller for Dockyards and Shipbuilding Department of the Director Contract-Built Ships Department of the Director-General Aircraft Department of the Director-General of Manpower Department of the Director-General, Supply and Secretariat Branch Department of the Director of Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department of the Director of Contract Labour Department of the Director of Dockyards Department of the Director of Electrical Engineering Department of the Director of Manning Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Department of the Director of Merchant Ship Repairs Department of the Director of Naval Construction Department of the Director of Naval Equipment Department of the Director of Naval Recruiting Department of the Director of Naval Weather Service Department of the Director of Personal Services Department of the Director of Physical Training and Sports Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Director of Transports Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Materials Department of the Director of Unexploded Bombs Department of the Director of Warship Production Department of the Director of Welfare and Service Conditions Department of the Director of Wreck Dispersal Department of the Flag Officer Sea Training Department of the Engineer in Chief Department of the Paymaster Director-General Department of the Inspector of Anti-Aircraft Weapons Department of the Inspector of Dockyard Expense Accounts Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy Department of the Physician of the Navy Department of the Physician General of the Navy Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards Directorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training) Directorate General Training Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department Dockyards Branch Dockyard Expense Accounts Department Dockyard Schools Electrical Engineering Department Engineer Branch Engineering Department Experimental Department Fire Control Group Greenwich Hospital Department Inspector of Telegraphs Inspector of Repairs Joint Warfare Establishment Medical Consultative Board Medical Examining Board Historical Section Hydrographic Department Marine Department Marine Pay Department Materials and Priority Department Medical Consultative Board Medical Department Medical Examining Board Movements Department Nautical Almanac Office Naval Artillery and Torpedo Department Naval Engineering College Naval Equipment Department Naval Historical Branch Naval Construction Department Naval Intelligence Department Naval Medical Service Naval Law Division Naval Manpower Department Naval Mobilisation Department Naval Ordnance Department Naval Ordnance Inspection Department Naval Ordnance Stores Department Naval Personnel Services and Officer Appointments Department Naval Publicity Department Naval Regional Offices Naval Reserve Department Naval Security Department Naval Stores Department Naval Training Department Naval Works Department Navy, Army and Air Force Institute Navy and Army Canteen Board Navy Works Department Navigation Department Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding, Reserves Office of the Admiralty Chemist Office of the Adviser on the Naval Construction to the Board of Admiralty Office of the Assistant Controller Office of the Assistant Controller Research and Development Office of the Clerk of the Journals Office of the Chief Polaris Executive Office of the Deputy Controller of Navy Office of the Deputy Controller Production Office of Extra Naval Assistant to Second Sea Lord Office of the Inspector Gun Mountings Office of the Keeper of Records Office of the Senior Psychologist (Naval) Office of the Senior Psychologist of the Navy Office of the Translator of French and Spanish Languages Office of the Vice Controller Air Office of the Vice Controller of the Navy Organisation and Methods Department Packet Service Regional Organisation for Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Royal Corps of Naval Constructors Royal Flying Corps Royal Marine Police Royal Marines Office Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Aircraft Workshops Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Air Stations Royal Naval Armaments Depot Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Royal Naval Cordite Factories Royal Naval Propellant Factory Royal Naval College Royal Naval College and the School for Naval Architecture Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Naval College, Keyham Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval Engineering College Royal Naval Film Corporation Royal Naval Hospital Royal Naval Medical Depot Royal Naval Minewatching Service Royal Naval Mine Depot Royal Naval Patrol Service Royal Naval Scientific Service Royal Naval Sick Quarters Royal Naval Torpedo Depot Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval War College Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth Royal Navy Dockyard Royal Navy Medical Service Royal Navy Shore Signal Service Royal Observatory, Greenwich Royal School of Naval Architecture Salvage Department School of Mathematics and Naval Construction Scientific Research and Experiment Department Sea Transport Branch Sea Transport Department Sea Transport Division Ship Department Ship Design Department Signal Department Signal School Sixpenny Office Statistics Department Steam Department Superintendent of De-magnetisation Torpedo Experimental Establishment Transport Department Undersurface Warfare Department Victualling Department Volunteer Boys and Cadet Corps Weapons Department Weapons Department (Naval) Women's Royal Naval Service Wireless Telegraphy Board Direction/Command of the Fleet Naval formations after 1707 1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Commander-in-Chief, Africa Atlantic Fleet Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Australia Station Cape of Good Hope Station Cape and West Africa Station Battle Cruiser Fleet Battle Cruiser Force Caspian Flotilla Channel Fleet Channel Squadron Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Cork Station Coast of Scotland Commander-in-Chief, China Commander-in-Chief, Dover Flag Officer, East Africa East Indies Station East Indies and China Station Eastern Fleet Far East Fleet English Channel Grand Fleet Flag Officer Gibraltar Harwich Force Home Fleet Jamaica Station Leith Station Commander-in-Chief, Levant Levant and East Mediterranean Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands Mediterranean Fleet Medway Newfoundland Station New Zealand Division New Zealand Naval Forces Nore North America and West Indies Station Commander-in-Chief, North Sea Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Admiral of Patrols Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Queenstown Station Royal East African Navy Royal Indian Navy Flag Officer Submarines Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth Reserve Fleet Scotland and Northern Ireland Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic South East Coast of America Station Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway West Africa Squadron Flag Officer, West Africa Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches Naval formations before 1707 Direction of Naval Finance Departments under the Direction of Naval Administration Branches and offices under the Civil Administration Departments under the Legal
51°28′56″N 0°00′24″W / 51.48222°N 0.00667°W /51.48222; -0.00667
United Kingdom
Royal Navy
