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Royal Naval College, Greenwich

{{short description|Royal Navy training establishment}}

{{about|the former naval college|the world heritage site|Old Royal Naval College}}

{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=Royal Naval College, Greenwich

| image= Naval College.JPG

| image_size = 240

|caption=Royal Naval College, Greenwich

|dates=1873–1998

|country={{flag|United Kingdom}}

|branch={{navy|United Kingdom}}

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|type=Training

|role=Higher officer training

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|garrison=Greenwich, London, UK

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|nickname=RNC

|motto=Tam Minerva Quam Marte ("By Wisdom as much as by War")The Mariner's Mirror, vol. 52 (Society for Nautical Research, 1966), p. 150{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/what-is-designation/heritage-highlights/where-was-the-only-nuclear-reactor-to-be-constructed-inside-a-listed-building/|title=Where Was the Only Nuclear Reactor to Be Constructed Inside a Listed Building?|publisher=Historic England|access-date=21 September 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://ornc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Signs-of-the-Past-project-video_subtitle-text-.pdf|title=Signs of the Past project video|publisher=Royal Naval College, Greenwich|access-date=21 September 2024}}

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The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equivalent in the British Army was the Staff College, Camberley, and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force was the RAF Staff College, Bracknell.

History

The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was founded by an Order in Council dated 16 January 1873. The establishment of its officers consisted of a president, who was always a flag officer; a captain, Royal Navy; a director of studies; and professors of mathematics, physical science, chemistry, applied mechanics, and fortification. It was to take in officers who were already sub-lieutenants and to operate as "the university of the Navy".J. R. Hill, Bryan Ranft, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy (2002), p. 269 The director of studies, a civilian, was in charge of an academic board, while the captain of the college was a naval officer who acted as chief of staff.Geoffrey Till, Bryan Ranft, The Development of British Naval Thinking (2006)

The Royal 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.Hazell's Annual 1914, p. 143 During 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.Kevin Littlewood, Beverley Butler, Of Ships and Stars: Maritime Heritage and the Founding of the National Maritime Museum (1998), p. 43

On 30 October 1939 the college began to train officers of the Women's Royal Naval Service.Marjorie H. Fletcher, The WRNS: A History of the Women's Royal Naval Service (1989), p. 115 During World War II, 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.[http://www.museumsinlondon.org.uk/city/112-the-greenwich-foundation-for-the-old-royal-naval-college.html The Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College]

The Navy's Department of Nuclear Science and Technology opened on the college premises in 1959, and JASON, the department's research and training reactor, was commissioned in the King William building in 1962.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jason-casts-a-cloud-over-naval-college-sale-1578790.html Jason casts a cloud over naval college sale] in The Independent dated 22 October 1995

In 1967 Queen Elizabeth II knighted Francis Chichester on the river steps of the college, honouring his achievement in circumnavigating the world as a solo yachtsman, using the old route of the clippers, becoming the first to do so. His was also the fastest such circumnavigation, taking nine months and one day.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/28/newsid_2495000/2495799.stm 1967: Sir Francis Chichester sails home] at BBC.co.uk

The Royal School of Naval Architecture, which had been part of the college since 1873, transferred to University College London in 1967.J. R. Parkinson, The Economics of Shipbuilding in the United Kingdom (2011), p. 5 The Royal Naval College continued to train women until 1976, when their courses were transferred to the Britannia Royal Naval College.{{Cite web |url=http://www.wrens.org.uk/history.php |title=Wrens: History |access-date=7 October 2013 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222052753/http://www.wrens.org.uk/history.php |url-status=dead }}

From 1983 the relocated Joint Services Defence College also occupied much of the King Charles building.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/archive/catalogue/record.cfm?ID=RNCG|title=National Maritime Museum Archive}} With a shrinking Royal Navy, the decision was taken to close RNC Greenwich in 1998. All initial officer training is now carried out at the Britannia Royal Naval College,Robert Shannan Peckham, Rethinking Heritage: Cultures and Politics in Europe (2003), p. 18 and the new Joint Services Command and Staff College, created in 1997, took over the staff college functions.Ian F. W. Beckett, Discovering British Regimental Traditions (Osprey Publishing, 2007), [https://books.google.com/books?id=SYWr-ljWbuQC&pg=PA58 p. 58]

Buildings

{{main|Greenwich Hospital, London}}

File:Old Royal Naval College Chapel Interior, Greenwich, London, UK - Diliff.jpg

The college was established in buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712, then intended to serve as the Greenwich 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.Ann Stewart Balakier, James J. Balakier, The Spatial Infinite at Greenwich in Works by Christopher Wren (1995), p. i The site of the former hospital had once been occupied by the medieval Palace of Placentia, or "Palace at Greenwich", begun by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in 1428.Guy McDonald, England (2004), p. 125

After the Royal Navy departed in 1998 the buildings were opened to the public as the Old Royal Naval College.

Presidents

: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 the Second Sea Lord (and from 1994 an honorary role held by the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff).[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf Royal Navy Senior Appointments] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315105247/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf |date=15 March 2012 }} at gulabin.com, accessed 9 October 2013 Presidents included:

Directors of Studies

The following individuals served as Director of Studies:

class="wikitable" width="auto" style="text-align: center"
OrderOfficeholderTitleTerm beganTerm endTime in officeNotes
{{nts|1}}align=left| Thomas Archer Hirstalign=left rowspan=3|Director of Studies18731882align=right| {{age in years|1873|1882}} years{{cite book |author1=Flood, Raymond |author-link1=Raymond Flood (mathematician) |author2=Rice, Adrian |author3=Wilson, Robin |author-link3=Robin Wilson (mathematician) |title=Mathematics in Victorian Britain |year=2011 |page=66 }}
{{nts|2}}align=left| Sir William Davidson Niven18821903align=right| {{age in years|1882|1903}} years{{cite book |title=NIVEN, Sir William Davidson |work=Who Was Who 1916–1928 |year=1992 |location=London |publisher=A. & C. Black |edition=1992 reprint |isbn=0-7136-3143-0 }}
{{nts|3}}align=left| Captain William Harold Watts {{post-nominals|country=UK|RN}}19661969align=right| {{age in years|1966|1969}} years{{cite web |url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/summary/wa95-001.shtml |title=Summary Guide |work=kcl.ac.uk |access-date=7 October 2013 }}

Notable professors

{{See also|Category:Academics of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich}}

Notable students

{{See also|Category:Graduates of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich}}

Since decommissioning

Now known as the Old Royal Naval College, the college's former buildings are open to the public and are the home of three attractions; the Painted Hall, the chapel, and the Discover Greenwich visitor centre. The site has also been used as a film location, appearing in Sherlock Holmes (2009){{cite web|url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/s/Sherlock-Holmes-2009.php|title=Sherlock Holmes|publisher=Movie locations|access-date=24 November 2018}} and The Foreigner (2017){{cite web|url=https://globalfilmlocations.net/2017/07/03/the-foreigner-2017-film-locations/|title=The Foreigner| date=3 July 2017 |publisher=Global Film Locations|access-date=24 November 2018}} and as the setting for the final clash on Earth in Thor: The Dark World.{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/11/hollywoods-rubbish-tube-geography-thor-2-unnecessary-distraction|title=Hollywood's rubbish Tube geography in Thor 2 is an unnecessary distraction|publisher=New Statesman|date=8 November 2013|access-date=8 July 2014}}

See also

{{commons category|Royal Naval College, Greenwich}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Naval Service (British)|state=collapsed}}

{{Admiralty Department|state=collapsed}}

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Category:Grade I listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Greenwich

Category:History of the Royal Borough of Greenwich

Category:Military history of London

Category:Former training establishments of the Royal Navy

Category:Staff colleges

Category:1873 establishments in England

Category:1998 disestablishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 1998