Dates: 1941 - 1993

HMS Mercury was a shore establishment of the Royal Navy, and the site of the Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School. There was also a subsidiary branch, HMS Mercury II.

The school was established at Leydene House, East Meon, near Petersfield, Hampshire, England and was commissioned as HMS Mercury on 16 August 1941 under the command of Captain Gerald Warner. A signalling school had been established at HM Barracks, Portsmouth in 1904 and was transferred to Petersfield during the Second World War. Extensions were also established at a number of other sites, including Bristol, Cambridge and Liss. In November 1943 a wireless telegraphy school was established at St. Bede’s Prep School, Eastbourne, and a WRNS training establishment at Soberton Towers. The base went on to house both the Communications and Navigations faculties of the Royal Navy’s School of Maritime Operations (SMOPS). The school trained generations of Royal Navy Communicators and Navigators until 31 August 1993 when the establishment was decommissioned. At the time of its closure, HMS Mercury was home to the Communications and Navigations Faculties of the Royal Navy’s School of Maritime Operations and the Special Communications Unit (SCU), Leydene. SCU, Leydene became an independent establishment on 1 September 1995.

During its time in operation, HMS Mercury had three nominated depot ships, MB 3520 from 16 August 1941, HL(D) 1854 from 1948 until June 1950, and HL(D) 42473 from June 1950 until her sale on 18 June 1959.

HMS Mercury II
An experimental section of the Signal School and an Admiralty Signal Establishment had existed since 1917, when the task was devolved from HMS Vernon. It had moved to Eastney to study Radar direction finding, with appointments being made there from 30 December 1935, but the apparatus not arriving until 14 July 1936. With the moving of the main signal school to Leydene House the Admiralty Signal Establishment also moved, in April 1941, and was established in Lythe Hill House, Haslemere. The Production department had been set up in Whitwell Hatch Hotel, Haslemere by the end of May that year, with a small part of the establishment remaining at the old Signal School in Portsmouth. This became independent in August when the main facility moved. Soon after the opening of the main centre of HMS Mercury, the Experimental Section in Lythe Hill House and the Production and Development Section at Whitwell House were commissioned as HMS Mercury on 25 August 1941, and opened as an independent command on 27 August. Later developments saw the establishment of laboratories and workshops at King Edward’s School, Witley, valve production going to Waterlooville and aerial manufacture to Nutbourne. Trials were carried out at Tantallon, near North Berwick.

During its time in operation, HMS Mercury II had two nominated depot ships, FMB 3521 from 27 August 1941 until July 1946, and MFV 1016 from July 1946 until she was sold in May 1947. This HMS Mercury II remained in operation until mid 1952. The name then passed to the Admiralty Signal and Radar Establishment in Portsdown, Portsmouth. This base remained HMS Mercury II until 1969.

Memories of HMS Mercury

HMS Mercury in 1965
Written by Louis Providence
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"As the Class Leader, and one of only three Blacks among several thousand trainees in Mercury, we had to march everywhere, all the other courses were addressed by their class number, not our class, I addressed them as "White Trash". Imagine the look on the new Officers faces when we were marching past the and they heard the command from this black class leader, "White Trash eyes right", they always turned and listened for the eyes front, and yes it was "White Trash eyes front". But those were the good old days before Political Correctness. More soon. "


HMS Mercury in 1973
Written by Mark Jenkinson
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"Like every communicator, I have mixed memories of Mercs, and it has to be said that the vast majority are of happy & enjoyable times. One of the most amusing is of when I was Ship´s Company whilst waiting to join HMS Juno. I´m sure that there are many comms rates out there who´ll remember that the bulk of the ratings employed on camp security at this time (1973) were WAFUs. I don´t know why, perhaps a couple of Air Squadrons or a Carrier had been paid-off and the personnel couldn´t be gainfully employed on Air Stations, but anyway a load of them ended up at Mercury.

Amongst these was a Naval Airman called Scouse M*****, who I think worked in the main galley, and it was he who one day had the gross misfortune to be pulled over for a vehicle spot-check just before leaving the camp. The RPO in charge of the check-point rummaged through the boot of his car and gleefully started pulling out various foodstuffs that had found their way into Scouse´s possession. Not having an acceptable answer as to how & why the food got there, Scouse did not pass Go, did not collect £200, but DID go directly to jail, spending the next couple of days in cells while his warrant was prepared.

Come the day, Lower Deck was duly cleared and his warrant was read in the Drill Shed in front of about 100 freezing cold matelots & wrens, mainly Ship´s Company & staff from the Admin Block. Even the Buffer´s Party´s gash cart was there. The trouble was, none of us were prepared for what was about to be read out. Scouse took his one-pace-forward, minus cap, and it immediately became apparent that the dastardly deed had been committed at or just after breakfast time, because the warrant went into the absolute minutest details of the contents of Scouse´s swag-bag: Eggs, trays of 36, 2 in number; Sausages, Pork, uncooked, 10 in number; Sausages, Pork, cooked, 16 in number; Bacon rashers, back, uncooked, 20 in number; Bacon rashers, collar, cooked, 22 in number; Baked beans, tins of, 5 in number; Pudding, Black, large, 2 in number; Bread, loaves, sliced, 2 in number; Bread, slices, toasted, 2 in number (must´ve been Scouse´s egg & bacon sarnie), etc etc etc. The list seemed endless. As can be imagined, the sniggering & giggling didn´t take long to get underway, and it spread pretty rapidly. Ever-alert Reg staff standing behind the miscreant gave steely stares and made mental notes of who found this thievery of H.M. victuals amusing, with a view to giving them a chance to explain what´s so funny at Jimmy´s Table the following day. I´ll always remember one of the girls in the wrens platoon who´d turned red and whose tears of laughter had made what little make-up she was wearing run. How she´d managed not to laugh out loud I´ll never know.

However, at the end of the warrant, with Scouse himself still smirking despite his pending 28 days as a guest of Her Majesty, all the platoons marched out at a pace that would´ve put the Light Infantry to shame and dispersed in double-quick time. Back in the mess we collapsed onto our pits in fits of laughter......it truly was one of those ´you had to be there´ moments!!

* I´ve not given Scouse´s surname as a matter of courtesy!!

** Thinking back, I´m not sure why there were Wrens present at the warrant reading, because in those days they weren´t subject to the Naval Discipline Act (remember that, historically, the purpose of reading a warrant in front of the Ship´s Company is to remind them of what can happen if they step out of line.....It´s intended to act as a direct threat). I can only conclude that they were there just to make up the numbers."


HMS Mercury in 1942
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"The first time I visited HMS Mercury I was horrified. Apart from the Main House and the cinema everything was made from Nissen huts and the only heating was tortoise stoves which we were not allowed to light until 1600. Each hut had to collect a bucket of coalfor starting the fire then we could have as much coke as we liked to keep it going. From the middle of the afternoon the woods were busy with matelots searching for dry sticks and branches and scrap paper was at a premium. Still some how we all seemed to manage.

The place seemed to be run by the communications branch including a few coders and a sprinkling of other branches. I laways weemed to finish up as quartermaster (watchkeeping again!). Oh those long lists to be piped at Stand Easy of people being drafted. I did spend some time in the V/S Stores working with ex Chief yeoman Spaz Chambers marking backwards Biffers. Mercury waas the only establishment to have a public road runing through it and it was not closed until late 40.s when they built the first brick accomodation block on the Crescent for th Chiefs of course then followed on with blocks for PO.s. I left the Service before the remainder of the blocks were built

One unusual facility was the .22 rifle range behind the Main House which was available to anyone interested. I was never very good at it but I spent many a happy half hour banging away there. Another incident comes to mind when the local Hunt held a meetfrom Mercury. We had horses and hounds all over the place and that evening we recovered three hounds who had lost themselves and kept them in a spare strore until the huntsman could come and collect them.

I suspect that most of my contemporaries have fallen by the wayside but if there are any about, how about getting together some time?"

Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Mercury

" R20 & R21 Class HMS Mercury 1959.. These two classes joned up at HMS Raleigh March 9th/10th 1959. With the exception of Jock Pollock and Eric (Scouse) Potter, of whom I know there whereabouts, does anybody know of any of the others. Names like Nigel Watts, Ian Wright, Johnny Carsey, Bob Moss. Look forward to hearing from somebodyMartin Chambers "

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" Hawke 192 class 1955. Thence HMS Ranpura, Malta. Two loan drafts to Undine and Surprise. Back home, joined Undaunted. Them HMS Mercury 1957 (changed branches to bunting tosser). Drafted to Gambia, Then Soberton. And finally joined the brand new HMS Hampshire at John Browns Shipyard in Glasgow. ..."

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"Whilst serving HMS Mercury (Signal School), I met Lord Mountbatten, he was a gentleman and really easy to talk to considering his high command and family background. A wonderfull mand I thought. [hms illustrius leaving portsmouth.jpg]"

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" Hi, Is their anybody out there who remembers Brum at MHQ Mountwise.  Only 18/19 at time, thin, long hair, female obviously.  First draft after HMS Mercury.  Would like to hear from all or any of D Watch including, Taff, Blod, Chris, Gary, Hairbear, Fran, Daz.  Or any Raf personnel we shared duties ..."

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" Here are some of the things I still have from my WRNS days. I have a leter accepting my application. A 1956 letter telling me to report to HMS Dauntless for training enclosing a travel draft and instructions on how to get there. My Shore leave card from HMS Mercury. My marine badge and red bfelt ..."

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