In 1915, following the outbreak of the World War One, an auxiliary Naval Base was established in Penzance to survey shipping and as a base for ships that were escorting convoys to France.
N Holman and Sons at the Dry Dock, the offices of the mining, shipping and general engineers were commandeered as the regional headquarters for naval personnel. The company was declared a ‘Controlled Establishment’ with its’ entire output claimed for war purposes with the systematic servicing and overhaul of patrol vessels. This work often, as it does today, went on around the clock.
There is no doubt that the Naval Bases’ work during The First World War was extremely significant. Shortly after the armistice, at a public meeting held in St John’s Hall, Sir Clifford Cory, at a public meeting in St John's Hall was recorded as saying that the base had been the means of “destroying and damaging many submarines around the coast from Mount's Bay to Hartland Point”. The vessels of the Base convoyed no fewer than 11,000 vessels to and from France and of those vessels convoyed only 35 had been lost. Patrol boats were said to have saved 582 lives from vessels that were sunk in convoy.
After four years of vital service The Penzance Naval Base closed on 15th March 1919 and is today Penzance Dry Dock, which still remains in operation, while maintaining a close relationship with Royal Navy and wider MOD.
Penzance had a Naval Base from 1780s to beginning of 1800s. It was situated at what is now the Chapel House B&B. There is no link with the dry docks from that time that I am aware off. It was purposely built by Captain Linzee to protect England from the French.