Volume Four - An Era of Change, Uncertainty, Depression & War - 1950 to early 1960's . . .

	Another look back to the role of the Penarth Dock in the "D" Day landings - the image says so much. We owe so much to those who went, to those who were rescued from certain death and more especially, to those who did not return.

From the array of images on the previous pages you would be right to ask why were so many Royal Navy ships laid up at Penarth Docks after the war? The answer may be found in the Naval Review [097] No. 1 Vol. XLII. of February 1954, and a report upon the future of the Reserve Fleet, it stated:

“By the beginning of 1953, some 300 ships and major landing craft were being looked after by an authorised complement of about 8,500 men; thus some 6% of the men were looking after 50% of the ships in the Navy.”

The report outlined many aspects of the Reserve Fleet including defect lists, rationed refits and methods of preservation. It goes on the state:

“It must be recognised that these little ships are delicate and very expensive” and that they require “refitting annually and docked or slipped every 6 months.”

The Plan considered the only way to deal with these ships was to lay the Reserve Fleet up in groups in basins at commercial ports from which trade had receded.

By August 1952, a detailed scheme for berthing 60 ships in the first three commercial ports had been drawn up in consultation with the Docks and Harbour Authorities, and local shipbuilding firms, and detailed estimates were provided by the Board and the Treasury.

The first ship arrived at Penarth to be dealt with under the scheme in the first week in September, 1952.