11 June 1958 | Unit commissioned in HMS VICTORY (RNB); the plan was that training would be carried out a. for Plotters in the Royal Naval Barracks b. for Communicators in the Main Signal Office and Command Typing School in HM Dockyard. Unit administration would be dealt with at the offices of CinC Portsmouth in HM Dockyard. | |
September 1958 | Exercise FALLEX 58 (the 'SHIPSHAPE' Series) at Fort Southwick, on completion of which the HQ Reserve Unit training was transferred to the Fort whilst the administrative function remained in CinC Portsmouth Offices. | |
April 1959 | The ship name HMS SOUTHWICK allocated to the HQ Unit. | |
May 1960 | Unit administration tranferred to Fort Southwick. |
Pre World War II | Fort Southwick occupied by the Army | |
During World War II | Fort Southwick occupied by the Royal Navy. UGHQ excavated and brought into use in 1942 (whilst not fully completed). | |
September 1945 | UGHQ reduced to a reserve status and closed down. | |
April 1946 | RNSS Fort Southwick established. | |
July 1948 | RNSS Fort Southwick closed - the Fort being reduced to a care and maintenance status under the jurisiction of the Captain, HMS DRYAD. | |
23 February 1953 | The Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth appointed to the NATO post of Allied Commander Channel (CINCHAN) with Staff Officers, and the Staff of Commander-in-Chief Home (Desig)(incluing Royal Naval Minewatching Service Officers) operating in the old Tactical School in H.M. Dockyard. | |
11 June 1958 | Portsmouth HQ Reserve Unit commissioned. | |
September 1958 | UGHQ temporarily activated for FALLE '58. | |
May 1960 | Limited communication watchkeeping (0800 - 2000 daily) activated in the UGHQ. This move from the Dockyard MSO was made to facilitate the switching of the Teleprinter Landline Network and to improve Portsmouth Command Coastal Radio Net coverage. | |
1962 | CINCHAN and CINCHOME (Desig) Staffs transferred to Fort Southwick. NATO communications switch to UGHQ. UGHQ communication centre fully activated. | |
November 1962 | Transformation of the Royal Naval Minewatching Service to the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS) and the establishment of the post of Captain RNXS. | |
21 January 1966 | CINCHAN appointment amalgamated with that of CINCEASTLANT, and in consequence , Channel staff moved to Northwood. Fort Southwick became the Headquarters of CINCHOME (Desig). Shortly after this the Home (Desig) title was changed to CINCNAVHOME (Desig). | |
1966 | Shore offices of the Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers (FOAC) established in Fort Southwick later to become Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) in September 1968, and again in January 1979 to Flag Officer Third Flotilla (FOF3). | |
1968 | Plotting facilities to meet CINCNAVHOME requirements transferred to the Upper Fort (the present War Information Room complex). | |
1969 | The demise of Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth and CINCNAVHOME (Desig); the latter staff became the Plans and Exercises Division of the revised Naval Home Command. (The Admiral's flag which was flown at Fort Southwick was sruck and the large mast sited immediately in front of the Fort removed). | |
1971 | Logistic support of the Fort (and UGHQ) transferred to HMS VICTORY (RNB) from HMS DRYAD. Emergency war victualling stocks removed from the Fort and UGHQ. | |
January 1972 | Naval Foreign and Commonwealth Training Directorate established in Fort Southwick. | |
May 1972 | C E D (Tels) Department established in existing semi-permanent accommodation in Fort Southwick. | |
September 1974 | Fort Southwick above ground Communication Centre commissioned. UGHQ gutted and sealed off. |
EE1 | Western escape route - filled in | 56 | OPS PBX - Operations Private Branch Exchange | |
EE2 | Central escape route - filled in | 57 | GPO Relay Set & Frame Room | |
EE3 | Eastern escape route - still exists | 58 | GPO Battery Room | |
1 | Water Tank - this is outside the plan at the top left | 59 | Meteorological Office | |
2 | Logistic and ground damage plot | 60 | Spare | |
3 | Fire point | 61 | Cleaners Store | |
4 | Logistics | 62 | Couriergram Office | |
5 | DCHQ No.2 Damage Control HQ | 63 | MSO - Main Signals Office | |
6 | Plans | 64 | MSO Records (see 63) | |
7 | Intelligence Office | 65 | Admin PBX - Administration - Public Branch Exchange | |
11 | Logistics | 66 | GPO Power Room | |
12 | Intelligence | 67 | Crypto Store | |
13 | Commander in Chief's Communications Records | 68 | Crypto Workshops | |
14 | Technical | 69 | TP Room - Teleprinter | |
15 | Intelligence | 70 | TP Room - Teleprinter | |
16 | Commander in Chief | 71 | Spare | |
17 | A/COS(A), A/COS(T) - Assistant Chief of Staff Administration and Assistant Chief of Staff Tactics | 72 | WR Room - Wardroom Store | |
18 | Submarine & Naval Liaison Officers | 73 | Wardroom | |
19 | Belgian, French & Netherlands national advisors. Flag office Netherlands (GB) | 74 | Tube Exchange & Teleprinter Store | |
20 | Records Room (more like coding room) | 75 | TP Room - Teleprinter | |
21 | Main Operations Room | 76 | TP Room - Teleprinter | |
22 | OPS - Operations Office (reported to be the WT room) | 77 | Tube motors | |
23 | SOO - Staff Office Operations | 78 | EEM Sub station - Electrical Enginering Manages (HM Dockyard system) so not off National Grid but supplied by private Generation Station off Main and Victoria Roads in the Portsmouth Dockyard | |
24 | COAS -(thought to be Chief of Air Staff but this should be CAS - possibly Chief of Army Staff) | 79 | TP Switchboard - Teleprinter switchboard (private wire network) | |
25 | A/COS OPS - Assistant Chief of Staff Operations | 80 | Galley | |
26 | SEC COAS - Secretary to COAS (see 24) | 81 | Wardroom | |
27 | Flag Lieutenant | 82 | Spare | |
28 | Conference Room | 83 | GPO - (General Post Office) | |
29 | Marititme Air Liaison Officer | 84 | GPO - (General Post Office) | |
30 | Shipping plans | 85 | GPO V/F Room - Voice Frequency Repeater (audio amplifiers) | |
31 | Trade Records | 86 | GPO Carrier Room | |
32 | Trade plot | 87 | EEM Store - see 78 above store for spare parts, cable etc | |
33 | National Shipping Authority & Military Movements | 88 | Spare | |
34 | A/COS plans. Assistant Chief of Staff Plans | 89 | Ratings Mess | |
35 | COS - Chief of Staff [normally a Rear Admiral and 2nd in command] | 90 | Dormitory | |
36 | SEC COS - Secretary to Chief of Staff (see 35) | 91 | Galley Store | |
37 | Channel committee secretariat | 92 | Dormitory | |
38 | Secretary | 93 | Officers Lavatories | |
39 | Spare | 94 | Dormitory | |
40 | SOMW - Senior Officer Mine Warfare | 95 | Dormitory | |
41 | SONCS (CH)) - Senior Officer Naval Control Service | 96 | GPO - (General Post Office) | |
42 | SONCS (H) Senior Officer Naval Control Service | 97 | Secondary Lighting Batteries | |
43 | A/COS trade - Assistant to Chief of Staff (with responsibility for Trade (Mercantile Marine) - see 25) | 98 | AC Room - Air Conditioning Room | |
44 | Q Message Room - may be referring to 'Q' (or deception i.e. Operation Fortitude) messages. This was one of the duties of the EXTRA rooms and tunnels below parts of the Western Heights Dover | 99 | Ratings Lavatories | |
45 | Minew Warfare Plot | 100 | Engineers Workshop | |
46 | Mine Records | 101 | Engineers Store | |
47 | Clock control Update 02-01-2010. The small clock room had racks in it that were full of glass tubes with the small ships in for the map room (source Andy Stevens) | 102 | Boiler Room | |
48 | Office 2 | 103 | DCHQ No1 (Damage Contol) | |
49 | Typing Pool | 104 | Coke Hold | |
50 | Top Secretary Registry | 105 | Diesels | |
51 | CSO - Command Signals Officer | 106 | Coolers | |
52 | Fire Point | 107 | Ladies Lavatories | |
53 | Netherlands Crypto Office | 108 | Air conditioning plant | |
54 | Crypto Office | 109 | Police keyboard | |
55 | WT Office - Wireless Telegraphy | 110 | 'B' adit an intake tunnel |