Dates: 1859 -
HMS Excellent is a Royal Navy shore establishment sited on Whale Island near Portsmouth, Hampshire. Her name continues that of the 104 gun 1st-rater, which served from 1810 - 1840, and had a subsequent career from 1859 to 1892 as a gunnery training ship in Portsmouth Harbour.
Whale Island is predominantly reclaimed land, using the deposits dredged from Portsmouth harbour during the Victorian era, increasing the land area by around 125%. It has served as a training facility since that time, predominantly in gunnery and the associated discipline of Parade Training leading to the situation where Gunnery Instructors (GIs) were responsible for Parade Training throughout the fleet. This situation persists with the successors to the Gunnery branch, the Above Water Weapons branch, retaining the responsibility for Parade Training and generally retaining the form of address, GI.
The establishment was decommissioned in 1985, but recommissioned in 1994 following the closure of the old HMS Phoenix, school of Fire Fighting and Damage Control, in nearby Tipner and Horsea Island. HMS Excellent also served as home for the recently closed RN School of Leadership and Management which had moved from HMS Royal Arthur near Corsham in Wiltshire.
HMS Excellent herself forms part of the Maritime Warfare School, with a Headquarters at HMS Collingwood, although a number of lodger units are resident within the site, the principal of which is the Headquarters of Commander in Chief Fleet.
Maritime Warfare School elements within the site are:
Phoenix school of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence, damage control and fire fighting
South East Naval Military Training Centre
Defence Diving School Boat Section
HMS Excellent also provides administrative and infrastructure support to the Maritime Warfare School elements at Defence Diving School, Horsea Island and small arms ranges at Tipner.
Lodger units are:
Headquarters of Commander in Chief Fleet
Headquarters of UK Maritime Battle Staff
HMS King Alfred Royal Naval Reserve
Fleet Regional Photographic Unit (South East Region)
Sea Cadet Corps National Training Centre
HMS Bristol - Accommodation and Cadet Forces training ship
TS Alamein Sea Cadet Corps and Royal Marine Cadet detachment
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Excellent
" MY name is jean millar from belfast my surname now is jean wood.I married a portmouth fieid gunner, in 1970.slinger wood.I am looking for wrens from 1967-68-69-70. those wrens that served at hms excellent.Kathy,RachelHume,Sandra thompson,If you are out there please get in touch. "
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" does any body out there know the whereabouts of Commander A Boddy last known HMS Excellent about 1963/4 his sister & brother are looking for him. the family was split uop during the war: Last edited by Eric Wilding "
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" My wife now is Jean wood we first met while I was on the 1969 field gun. Her name then was Jean miller. stores assistant, wrens hms excellent.Jean left the navy 1970 to get married to me.She is a N.Ireland girl from Belfast.Who has not met any of her friends since that day.we are looking ..."
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" Hello, Im looking for a John Dawson who was in the Navy based at Portsmouth, HMS Excellent in 1948 - 1954 He may have been in service earlier then thought and also longer He got married in Edinburgh in 1948, he had a son and a daughter who followed in 1954. I understand he got devorced, he may ..."
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" HMS BRISTOL (D23), a Type 82 Destroyer, was built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Ltd., at Wallsend, on the River Tyne. Laid down in April 1967, she was launched in 1969 by Lady Hogg and completed in December 1972. This class was designed as the General Purpose escorts for the CVA-01 Carrier but on ..."
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