Author Topic: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath  (Read 4098 times)

Offline Ayashi

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday 09 May 18 21:36 BST (UK) »
Thanks Tug. :)

Offline Hystericalwriter

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #10 on: Saturday 12 May 18 18:57 BST (UK) »
Just before WW2 was declared a large body of Admiralty workers were moved into what were (I think) Blocks of buildings originally intended for WW1 as hospitals. My father moved from Devonport Dockyard in 1939 to work in Bath in the construction and design of ships etc during the conflict. The offices were by the end of the war spread over three site at Ensleigh, Foxhill and Warminster Road. All are gone now with the now MoD working on a site on the edge of Bristol. Huge employer for the city in those days. I worked there, as did an uncle, cousins and sister.
OWEN(s): Llangurig, MGY; JOHN: Treherbert GLA; LEWIS: Margam GLA; BOON: Brixham, DEV
VITTERY:Brixham, DEV; FRANCE: Brixham, DEV
GLOVER: Parkham, DEV ;BOIT: Wellington, SOM
YOUNG: Castle Combe, WIL; LIVINGSTONE: Limavady NI; CAMPBELL: Ballykelly, Derry

Offline DJPG3CFT

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #11 on: Friday 18 April 25 18:05 BST (UK) »
.... 11 Marlborough St, in Bath, Somerset.
I have no idea if you are still active on these forums Ayashi, as I note your post I have quoted dates back over 7 years, but...

My Grandfather was also a civil servant employed by the MOD, specifically the Royal Navy. He spent time as an enlisted man at the outbreak of WW2 but was then mysteriously released to become a "civil servant". It was during this period of the war that he married my Grandmother and my mother was born. We know that he never talked about his work, even with my Grandmother, they went on to divorce just after the war finished. We know that before the war he was amongst other things listed as a "radio engineer". His marriage certificate to my Grandmother has him recorded as an "Electrical H.F. Engineer", for my Uncle's birth certificate he is a "Admiralty Radar Worker (H.F. Engineer Wireless Firm)".

My Grandfather then spends his entire working life in secret, he marries again and goes on to have children with his second wife. He ends up retiring as a "Senior Scientific Officer - MOD - Navy", that's what his death certificate says.

My Grandfather was a whizz with electronics of the day by all accounts and was a keen ham radio enthusiast. Purely by luck, another enthusiast asked me what his Ham radio call sign was, I gave it to him and the most astonishing thing happened, we were able to find which address he lived at from 1947 right up until his death. The radio directory for call signs was published each year and we have a complete history of where he lived. We have corroborated these addresses with birth and marriage certificates from his second family.

Interestingly, from 1961/62 until 1973/4 he lived at 11 Marlborough Lane, Bath. Now I realise your great Grandfather was at 11 Marlborough Street, not Lane, but I felt I had to post!

Did you manage to find anything more out? My hunt so far is pointing to MOD Fox Hill or MOD Ensleigh.

Offline Ayashi

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #12 on: Tuesday 22 April 25 08:54 BST (UK) »
Hi!

I'm still here.

Unfortunately I've since had confirmation that my great grandfather's admiralty records were destroyed in 1990 (100 years after his birth, per instruction). So there's a lot I'll never know.


Offline Hystericalwriter

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #13 on: Tuesday 22 April 25 10:36 BST (UK) »
I was told that the personnel records of civil servants were destroyed after the individuals 75th birthday. But a lot of records have been transferred to the National Archives at Kew.

Bath no longer has a Ministry of Defence presence.  The offices that existed are now new housing and the Spa Hotel is just that
 The Empire Hotel is luxury apartments. The main employer in Bath is 2 universities and tourism
OWEN(s): Llangurig, MGY; JOHN: Treherbert GLA; LEWIS: Margam GLA; BOON: Brixham, DEV
VITTERY:Brixham, DEV; FRANCE: Brixham, DEV
GLOVER: Parkham, DEV ;BOIT: Wellington, SOM
YOUNG: Castle Combe, WIL; LIVINGSTONE: Limavady NI; CAMPBELL: Ballykelly, Derry

Offline DJPG3CFT

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday 22 April 25 12:11 BST (UK) »
Hi!

I'm still here.

Unfortunately I've since had confirmation that my great grandfather's admiralty records were destroyed in 1990 (100 years after his birth, per instruction). So there's a lot I'll never know.
Okay, that's interesting, I wasn't aware that you could request Admiralty records. May I ask how you went about it?

Offline Ayashi

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #15 on: Wednesday 23 April 25 20:01 BST (UK) »
By annoying a lot of the wrong people over the course of many years until I found the Defence Business Services. I'm at least glad that I got an answer about where the records were and that at the time they were destroyed I was still knee-high to a grasshopper so I had no chance of ever finding them.

Their actual response:
"Further to your request for information relating to your great grandfather, I am sorry to have to inform you that despite an extensive search having been carried out of our Civilian archive records, there are no documents held by the Department. Records relating to civilian employees are only retained for 100 years from date of birth (following guidance from The National Archives) and unfortunately after conducting an extensive search for any additional records, there are no records held. Civilian employee records are only retained for 100 years from date of birth and then destroyed without copy, however it is possible that National Archives may hold some information and hopefully you will receive a response in due cause." - DBS Information Records Management

The National Archives didn't give me any response whatsoever.

Offline DJPG3CFT

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Re: Admiralty Shipyard in Bath
« Reply #16 on: Thursday 24 April 25 05:26 BST (UK) »
By annoying a lot of the wrong people over the course of many years until I found the Defence Business Services. I'm at least glad that I got an answer about where the records were and that at the time they were destroyed I was still knee-high to a grasshopper so I had no chance of ever finding them.
Made me smile! That's pretty much the stage I'm at, I've annoyed quite a few so far... ;D

I think I shall have a go, I should get the same response as you, but if I never try I'll never know. ;) ;D

Thank you for taking the time to reply. 8)