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The History and Origins of T.S. Kent
Training Ship Kent's origins go back to the former Naval Cadets who met in the Royal Dockyard at Sheerness in the 1930s. It was run by naval personnel but following the closure of the training establishment before the Second World War the Unit was opened up to boys from the town.
At the outbreak of the second world war the civilian instructors were appointed to ranks in the RNVR and as a result of the "Bounty Scheme" and the unit became known as the "Sheerness Sea Cadets"
Sheppey Sea Cadet Unit No 301 as we know it today was incorporated in to the Navy League Sea Cadet Corps on 29th June 1942 and first met at New Road Sheerness before moving to the present site at Barton's Point in 1954. Other headquarters prior to the R.A.B. Sports ground in New Road included HM Dockyard: The Sail-makers Loft, The Stables and HMS Wildfire, they also paraded at the Towers Hall Sheerness High Street and the Oxford Cinema Russell Street. The first RN inspection by the Royal Navy of the Unit was carried out in 1952 at the New Road Headquarters.
Barton's Point Headquarters
The buildings at Barton's Point were originally part of the accommodation for the HMS Wildfire Gunnery and Rifle Range where many Sailors and Marines were trained. The buildings included the NAAFI, ratings and officers mess and in addition there was drill hall and Armoury built in the 1890s that had more recently been used by the Air Cadets for a short time but the buildings fell into disrepair and were eventually pulled down.
The new headquarters was in a sorry state when the cadets arrived having been inundated in the 1953 floods that had devastated so much of the coastal areas of Southern England, the Quarter deck was covered in two inches of mud and this was cleared away with the help of the Royal Navy. The unit was able to purchase the freehold for under £1000 and took full control of the site on closure of the Royal Dockyard at Sheerness in 1960.
During the 1970s and 1980s a number of significant improvements were made to the Headquarters, new classrooms, a galley and toilets were built but during the Storm of 1987 a number of other buildings were severely damaged and had to be pulled down. The Boathouse, Engineering Classroom, Rope Store and General Store were all destroyed and Staff and Cadets from Sheppey & Medway Towns Sea Cadet Units as well as members of the Sheppey Model Engineering Society worked to clear away the mess. In addition Girls were welcomed in to the Unit for the first time in the 1980s
In recent years the Management committee and staff has worked to completely refurbish the Headquarters and they have build a new Canteen, Galley and Shower / Toilet Block and have now completed the building of a new boat house and workshop between the range and galley.
The Canal & Barton's Point Battery
The Canal adjacent to the Headquarters was originally planned as part of a network of Napoleonic defences set up around the south coast of England that stretched from Plymouth to the Humber and was at the instigation of Lord Palmerston. The Sheerness Canal is a miniature version of its big brother the Royal Military Canal at Hythe. At each end of the canal was to be a fort manned with heavy guns and there was to be a bridge manned by Soldiers on the Sheerness to Halfway road. It can only be surmised that the canal may have been used for transporting supplies and gunpowder from the Battery at West Minster to the Battery at Barton's Point. It is known that the Royal Marines used the canal for manoeuvres and training exercises during and after WW2. Until the 1950s servicemen, and workers had to cross the canal by boat from a jetty constructed on either side of the canal, after that time a steel bridge was used until the building of a road across the disused rifle range in the 1970s
On The Water
The Canal or "Queenborough Lines" as it was called was not built until 1860 as a defence work to supplement the moat of 1782. At each end of the canal a fort had been proposed but the two Forts Westminster Fort and Cheyney Rock Fort were never constructed and the Barton's Point Fort was not finished until the 1890s when it was completed as a Battery. At the Barton's Point site a large basin was constructed around the south side of the Battery but a similar basin at Westminster was never started, the canal ending short of the Queenborough to Sheerness railway line laid in 1860. By 1901 the Barton's Point Battery boasted 2 x 9.2" breech loading guns and 2 x 6" breech loading guns all on disappearing carriages. In addition a practice battery of 2 x 6 pounders Hotchkiss guns were also installed. The remains of the Barton's Point Battery is now home to the Isle of Sheppey Catamaran Club.
In 1970s the council started to landscape the old rifle range and build a lake connected to the canal for water-sports. The original plan included a sports arena, sports hall and indoor swimming pool but sadly this part of the project was shelved and the lake was completed at about half the size of the area originally intended. The area is now known as the Barton's Point Coastal Park and until recently was run by Four Seasons Leisure.
Commanding Officers Past & Present
2008 - Present Lt (SCC) Brian Moore
2003 - 2008 Lt (SCC) Mark Gambell RNR
1990 - 2003 Lt (SCC) Peter Jones RNR
1988 - 1990 Lt (SCC) Mike Farren RNR
1984 - 1988 Lt Cdr (SCC) David Brown RNR
1973 - 1984 Lt Cdr (SCC) Peter Puxty RNR *
1973 Lt Cdr (SCC) Reg Townend RNR
1970 - 1972 Lt Cdr (SCC) G Sutton RNR
Lt Cdr (SCC) R Attwood RNR
Lt Cdr W Pulford RNVR
Temp appointment Lt Gurr RNVR
Temp appointment Lt Cook RNVR
Temp appointment Lt Pegg RNVR
1954 - 1962 Lt Cdr Dorling RNVR
1951 - 1954 Lt F. W. Smith RNVR
1946 - 1951 Lt F. W. Smith RNVR (TBC)
1939 - 1946 Lt Cook RNVR
* It should be noted that Lt Cdr (SCC) P J Puxty RNR completed 33 years unbroken service with the Unit from joining as a junior cadet in 1952 to becoming the Commanding Officer in 1971 winning the cadet of the year trophy in 1956
Official opening of new headquarters at Barton's Point in 1954
The Sheppey Sea Cadets new Headquarters at Barton's Point Range was officially opened on Thursday last week by Captain Eric Wheeler Bush DSO. DSC. RN. National Secretary of the Sea Cadet Corps. He inspected a guard of honour formed by the cadets.
Lieut F. W. E. Smith RNVR Commanding Officer told the parents that they would probably think the unit was lucky to possess such a finely equipped Headquarters. This happy state of affairs has only been achieved through the generosity of my Lords High Commissioners of the Admiralty in allowing us to purchase the buildings and through the hard work of our Chairman, Officers and boys.
When we took possession of these buildings on 30th January there was two inches of mud on the floors and the windows had not been cleaned for six years. The cadets themselves have cleaned the place up he said. The Hoisting of the colour then took place followed by prayers read by the Rev W Fayle-Parr RN Parents afterwards visited the various instructional rooms and the canteen, refreshments were served and short speeches were made. Captain S. J. S. Boord RN Captain in charge of HM Dockyard Sheerness welcomed the parents and said he hoped the new headquarters would give a fresh start to the unit. He appealed for more cadets and also asked the ladies to form a committee!
Capt Bush said that Sheppey Unit was one of the finest in the country and we are determined to make this unit a real success he said. Mr F. J. Doring chairman of the management committee made presentations of tankards to Lieut Smith and Lieut J. Coles RNVR, among those present were R.J. Davie Cha
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