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The St
Nicholas Memorial Chapel at Fort Blockhouse
Fort
Blockhouse, also known as HMS Dolphin until its decommissioning
in 1998, had been home to the Submarine Service for almost a
century.
The
memorial chapel was built in 1917 on the North Bastion to commemorate
all the submariners lost in World War I. It is dedicated to
Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.
The chapel in earlier days
Inside the Chapel
There
are stain-glass windows in memory of Lieut FRC Talbot (HMS Thames),
Lieut EB Talbot (HMS Snapper) - the sons of Vice Admiral Sir Cecil
Talbot, the first submariner to win the DSO whilst in command
of HMS E6, Lieut Adlard (HMS Unique), Lieut-Cmdr Edward Philip
Tomkinson DSO* and the officers and men of HMS Urge, Lieut-Cmdr
John Hay Forbes DSO and the officers and men of HMS Spearfish.
Prayer
books and kneelers have been presented by families in
memory of their loved ones.
It
is home to the Book Of Remembrance, which lists the name of every
submariner lost since 1904.
The memorial
chapel is now under the custodianship of the Royal Navy Submarine
Museum. It is available to visit by appointment only. If you wish
to do so then please contact George Malcolmson, the Archivist,
on 02392 510354 ext 226 or email [email protected].
Please note that it is only possible to view the chapel during
the working hours of 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday. Visits must
be booked in advance as Fort Blockhouse remains a working military
base, so visitor's details must be registered a minimum of 24
hours beforehand.
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