Introduction

The word "Wildfire" has its roots well established in the Navy, it being a highly inflammable compound which was fired into the enemy's wooden wall to set them on faire. It was so effective that it gave rise to the commonly used expression "……spreads like Wildfire".

The present H.M.S. "Wildfire" is the eighth ship or Naval Establishment to carry the name for the Royal Navy over the last 185 years.

First "Wildfire" (ex John). Fire vessel. 64 tons B.N 61 x 16.5 ft. Built Yarmouth 1766 Bought by the Navy in 1804. Sold 17th June, 1807 and broken up. As a fire vessel she may have been fitted with bomb shooting mortars or "Bombards". Replicas of similar bombards complement the entrance hall of the present H.M.S. "Wildfire".

Second "Wildfire" (ex G.P.O. Vessel Watersprite). Wooden paddle packet. 186 tons. 165.5 x 18.5 ft. Built Harwich 1826 for Post Office service. Added to the Navy in January 1838 and fitted for service as the Tender Sheerness in 1845. Sold or broken up December 1888.
1837 Captain - Robert White 1870 Captain - C.G. Johnson
1841 Captain - C.A. Petch 1875 Captain - Robert L. C
1846 Captain - G. Brockman Cleveland.

HMS Wildfire (ex-Hiawatha) in 1901 (photo courtesy Imperial War Museum)

Third "Wildfire" (ex Hiawatha) Steam Yacht Tender (photo above). 453 tons. 162 x 18.5 ft. Built Leith. Re-named "Wildfire" and commissioned by the Navy in 1888 for harbour service at Sheerness. In 1889 she was commissioned as the Flagship to Commander-in-Chief The Nore to replace "Duncan". Renamed "Undine" in January 1907. Sold 9th July 1912.

1889 - 1890 Captain - Lieut. E.J. Sanderson
Flagship T.B. Lethbridge (April 1889)
Flagship C.T. Curme (August, 1890)
1897 - 1901 Staff Commander E.W.G. Hilliard (August 1897)
Flagship Sir W. Kennedy (September 1900).

HMS Nymphe at Montevideo (photo courtesy Imperial War Museum)

Fourth "Wildfire" (ex-Nymphe) (above). Nymphe Class Composite Screw Sloop. Displacement 1140 Tons. 195 x 18 ft. Built Portsmouth Dockyard and launched in May 1888. Horizontal twin screw, triple expansion engines, 1400hp (Ind). Speed 11 - 13 knots. Armed with 8 x 5 inch B.L. guns and 8 machine guns. Crew 135 Officers and Ratings. Others in Class: HMS Buzzard (b. 1887), HMS Daphne (b. 1888) and HMS Swallow (b. 1885).

On 31st December 1906, "Nymphe" was reduced to harbour service and renamed "Wildfire". She was commissioned for service with the Gunnery School, Sheerness. In 1908 she was the General Depot Ship at Sheerness.

HMS Wildfire circa 1910 (photo courtesy Imperial War Museum)

In 1914 she earned her battle honours "Belgian Coast"

After the fall of Antwerp on 9th October, 1914 the German army made an attempt to seize the important Channel ports and six days later had reached the coast north of Ostende. Rear Admiral H.L.A. Hood, as Rear Admiral Commanding the Dover Patrol and Senior Naval Officer Dover, was despatched to support the Allied movement. His force comprised the 6th Destroyer Flotilla (24 Tribal Class) and attached light cruisers, the Third and Fourth Submarine Flotillas, the Downs Boarding Flotilla and various auxiliary patrol vessels. He also had 3 Monitors and had pressed into service any vessel which could serve as a gun vessel. Among these were the Sloops "Vestal" , "Rinaldo" and "Wildfire", the Sheerness gunnery tender

Hood's forces stemmed the first rush of the German forces on 17th and 18th October and continued to engage shore targets. On 20th October the German attack was more intense and Hood with his Flag in "Amazon" went in close to engage guns in the dunes near Westende. "Amazon" was followed by "Wildfire", "Vestal" and "Rinaldo". By 5pm all ammunition had been used and "Amazon" had been hit. Ammunition was brought up from Dover and Dunkirk and the bombardment was renewed on 21 October; it continued for 11 hours that day. The next day saw further firing but the general rush along the coast by the Germans had been halted.

On 23rd and 24th October a French counter push took place and Hood's force provided support. On 26th October the Germans returned to the attack and had many guns established on the coastal dunes.

Within two days the attack had broken down and during the last day of that heavy fighting - 28th October - "Wildfire" was so badly hit on the waterline that she had to be sent back to Sheerness for repairs.

It is said, although not recorded in the Official History, that "Wildfire" was reported as lost with all hands and all families were informed of the loss, only for her to appear in Sheerness having only be lost in the Fog! In any event she had earned her Battle Honour "Belgian Coast" and the Admiralty signalled that through her action "..the enemy was shown there was one flank the could not turn..".

1909 - Captain of the Dockyard H.H. Toreles.
1910 - Commissioned Gunner J.Hayes
Commissioned Gunner C.W.Cock
1911 - captain of the Dockyard H.J. Prendergast
(Rear Admiral October 1911).

In 1916 "Wildfire" relinquished her name and was renamed "Gannet".

In 1917 the "Gannet" was renamed "Pembroke" and became the accommodation ship in the Medway. She was finally sold on 10th February, 1920 after her name was transferred ashore to the new Naval Barracks at Chatham. H.M.S. "Pembroke" the Naval Barracks and Supply School at Chatham closed in 1984 together with the Chatham Naval Base thus ending 400 years of Naval Dockyard Service in the area. From this short note it could be construed that the name of the RNR unit H.M.S. "Wildfire" was here before the Naval Barracks and remained after it closed.

The figurehead of "Nymphe" spent many years as a focal point just inside the Main Gate of H.M.S. "Pembroke". Together with copies of the original drawings and plans of "Nymphe" it used to reside in the Officers flat of "Wildfire" until its closure in 1994. The figurehead has now been restored to its authentic colours and is in the St George's Centre adjoining the Chatham Historic Dockyard. (see left - photo courtesy of Medway Council) Of all of the "Wildfire's" of the past "Nymphe" is probably the most interesting. This vessel was one of the last composite Sloops built and one of the only vessels of the Gunboat era to adopt twin screw propulsion. In size, with a length of 195 ft. she was shorter than the "Cutty Sark" which is 212 ft. in length and was built in 1869 nearly 20 years earlier than "Nymphe". "Cutty Sark" was also of composite construction, that is, iron frames and wooden planking.

H.M.S. "Wildfire" (ex Nymphe) was a Gunboat, technically a barquentine rigged auxiliary, the sail plan became known as a 'gunboat rig'. During her time, things were changing very quickly in the design and building of ships. In 1854 the predecessors of "Nymphe" had been created for the Crimean War, from then until the turn of the century these small vessels, as is so often has been the case, were a mainstay of our Naval Policy of carrying out policing duties in all hemispheres.

"Wildfire" as a shore Establishment - Fifth, Sixth & Seventh.

Fifth "Wildfire" (ex-Cornwallis). An English Third Rate of 74 guns and 1809 Tons B.N. 177 x 48 ft. "Cornwallis" was launched in Bombay Dockyard on 12th May 1813, undocking on 8th February 1855 as a screw ship of 60 Guns. The Hulk of "Cornwallis" saw service as a jetty at Sheerness from 1865. Renamed "Wildfire" Base Ship in 1916 on suceeding as General Depot Sheerness. She was paid off in 1922 on the closing of the depot, and the jetty was broken up in 1957.

A Gavel fashioned from the original teak of "Cornwallis" is still used at Mess Functions held by the present "Wildfire". A beam from the ship rests in the Officers flat of the present "Wildfire" and contains a brass plate commemorating the opening of the new Collingwood Block as H.M.S. "Wildfire" on 15th December 1984. The present Sea Cadet Corps Unit lodged with "Wildfire" in Collingwood Block carries forward the name as T.S. "Cornwallis" Medway Towns S.C.C.

Colours on "Wildfire" Jetty, circa 1938

Sixth & Seventh The "Wildfire" building - Sheerness/Brightlingsea Base. The original building was built as a Stores building in 1821 and reclassified as a Naval Stores Establishment in 1828. On 6th February, 1854 the Royal Naval Barracks Sheerness was opened and the 1st April 1892 a Gunnery School was established. Sheerness became a Naval Depot in 1908 and was closed in 1922.

The building was re-commissioned on 16th February, 1937 as a Boys Training Establishment, and in 1947 was amalgamated with H.M.S. "Vector" as a Radar Plotter Training School, which was closed in 1949 when training was transferred to H.M.S. "Dryad" & H.M.S. "Harrier". However, the building was once again reopened in 1954 as an accommodation centre finally closing on 14th October, 1959.

"29" Class 1938	The Sick Bay
The Mess/dormitory	The gymnasium/Quadrangle/Drill hall
The Seamanship Classroom	The Dining Hall

All these photographs of the Boys Training Establishment in 1938 have been provided by courtesy of Mr F W Ilderton from his own collection, and are acknowledged with appreciation