Marchwood Military Port

Marchwood Military Port (MMP) or Marchwood Sea Mounting Centre (SMC) is a military port located in Marchwood, Southampton on the south coast of the UK, and the base of 17 Port & Maritime Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The port was built in 1943 to aid in the D-Day assault on Normandy in 1944 and has since been used to support the Falklands War. The port is now used largely by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, as a base for their ships, including the Tide-class tankers, and it is also still employed for military cargo and personnel movement.

Marchwood Military Port
Marchwood Military Port.
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Location
CountryUK
LocationMarchwood,
Southampton
Coordinates50°53′36″N 1°25′20″W
Details
Opened1943
Owned byHM Government
Employees150 civilian
600 military

Marchwood is also the base-port for several Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships.

In August 2020, it was announced that the port would be converted to civilian use, with the Ministry of Defence retaining use of an element of the port.

History and facilities
The port in 2004

The port was built in 1943 with the intent that it should be used to aid the Normandy landings in 1944 by shipping men and equipment across to the beaches, the port was also used to support the occupying forces following the success of the landings.[1] At this time the port was relatively small, with just one jetty.[2]

The port now consists of three main jetties.

Falkland Jetty (berths 3 and 4), the largest, is 169 metres (554 ft) long and 33 metres (108 ft) wide,[1] with two dolphins and is capable of accepting vessels up to 25,000 tonnes. It has two sophisticated class 100 ro-ro link span ramps facility capable of handling vessels with various ramp configurations. There are two 32 tonne cranes with container handling ability. The two berths are maintained to 8 metres (26 ft)+ (low water).

Mulberry Jetty (berths 1 and 2), built during World War II, is 115 metres (377 ft) long,[1] has rail access and is capable of accepting vessels of up to 8,000 tonnes with limited Ro/Ro facilities. It is named for the mulberry harbours used on the French coast for the post D-Day logistics. The berths are maintained at 4 metres (13 ft).

Gunwharf Jetty (berths 5 and 6) is a subsidiary jetty of 116 metres (381 ft) that is used to berth military landing craft and smaller vessels. The berths are maintained at 4 metres (13 ft) and 3 metres (9.8 ft) respectively.[3]

There is also a small ship maintenance facility with a boatlift rated at 225 tonnes.

The waters are dredged to 8 metres (26 ft) so the whole complex can accept the majority of ships likely to be used by the Ministry of Defence. Dolphins at the seaward end makes it easier for longer ships to use. The Directorate of Land Service Ammunition (DLSA) has granted the port a licence to handle ammunition/explosives on the main jetty. The port has a limited capacity to handle containerised cargo within the 289-acre estate.[4]

RFA Sir Galahad departing from Marchwood in 1979

The port again found use during the Falklands War, when it was employed to transport men and equipment to the Falkland Islands.[5] The port aided Operation Corporate as a launching point for the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries Round Table class landing ships, armoured vehicles were also transported from Marchwood to the Europic Ferry via Mexeflote and then on to the Falklands. The port also became a massive assembly area for cargo and armoured vehicles which were subsequently forwarded to Southampton for transportation to the Falklands as required.[2] At the conclusion of the war the port was used to receive 80 war dead, who were kept in the cargo shed, before being processed and returned to their families for funerals.[2]

After the Falklands it became clear to the UK government that the base in Marchwood had been highly important in the war, and so the government spent £18 million on upgrading and improving the base, which only had a single jetty at the time.[4] The Quartermaster General, appointed after the war, commented on the previous makeshift style of the port, saying that when he was assigned the job he was told to "get the Army some decent boots and sort out Marchwood", to which Major Robin Barton replied "At Marchwood, General, we are not too fussed about the boots".[2]

The port was expanded considerably, with administration blocks being put in, as well as the Falklands deep water jetty, and training facilities. The water front is left clear for cargo and loading.[2] The expansion of the port has become subject of a short documentary, meant for civil engineers.[6]

In 2000 proposals were made to implement a separate, civilian, container port and access roads in close proximity to Marchwood. In a Parliamentary question, a Member of Parliament asked the Government whether the Ministry of Defence could accept such building works. The response was "yes," provided the Armed Forces' security and other requirements were taken into account, including in the planning process.[7] The expansion has since been implemented.[2]

The base contains a small standard gauge diesel-powered railway network that transports freight and occasionally passengers around the site. It is connected to the national railway network via the Fawley branch line, allowing freight trains to access the port and is regularly used to transport military vehicles and materiel to and from the port.

The port is now used largely by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, as a base for their ships, including their amphibious ships, but it is also still employed for military cargo and personnel movement.[5]

The site is named McMullen Barracks and the operating unit is 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps.

In October 2010, it was reported that the port was to be sold to a private operator, but that no firm decision had been made regarding the future use of the port by the military.[8] In August 2020, it was announced that the port would be converted to civilian use, with the Ministry of Defence retaining use of an element of the port.[9]

Based units

The following based units and ships are based at the port:

British Army

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

References
  1. "Ports and Harbours of the UK; Marchwood". www.ports.org.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  2. Puddefoot, Geoff (2009). "Appendix 4". The Fourth Force. Major Robin H G Barton, MBE. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-046-8.
  3. "Ports and Harbours of the UK; Marchwood". www.ports.org.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  4. "17 Port & Maritime Regiment RLC". MOD. 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  5. "Marchwood: An unknown hero". BBC. 16 April 1999. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  6. "Marchwood Military Port". ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  7. "Marchwood Military Port". www.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  8. Yandell, Chris (23 October 2010). "Jobs fears as Marchwood military port goes up for sale". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  9. "Plans for major expansion at port to create jobs - and traffic". New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  10. "Written Question for the Ministry of Defence regarding Army basing and personnel". Parliamentary Replies. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  11. "104th Logistic Support Brigade". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  12. "17 Port and Maritime Regiment". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  13. "FOI(A) regarding the Royal Navy" (PDF). What do they know?. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
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