HMS ''Cambria'' is the lead

Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...

unit in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. It is based in the docks of the Welsh capital,

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

History

HMS ''Cambria'' was established as the

unit for South Wales in July 1947 and originally occupied buildings in

Cardiff Docks Cardiff Docks ( cy, Dociau Caerdydd) is a port in southern Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost . Once the main port for the export of South Wales coal, the Port ...

. ''Cambria'' remained in Cardiff until 1980, when the redevelopment of the docks there precipitated a move to the former service married couples' accommodation at

Sully, Vale of Glamorgan Sully ( cy, Sili) is a village in the community of Sully and Lavernock, in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, lying on the northern coast of the Bristol Channel, midway between the towns of Penarth and Barry and 7 miles (11.3 kilometres) southwest of ...

, and was granted freedom of that county in 2012. Cambria returned to a purpose built home in Cardiff Docks in 2020. Over the years ''Cambria'', like many other RNR units, operated a number of seagoing ships; a motor minesweeper – the unit's first tender – was replaced in 1954 by the wooden-hulled minesweeper ''Brereton'', which gave way in turn to ''Crichton'' (1961–76); all of these were rechristened HMS ''St David''. In 1978 the unit acquired a converted trawler, which was again renamed ''St David''. The ship's final vessel, acquired in 1984, was the new minesweeper ''Waveney'', which was not renamed. ''Waveney'' remained with HMS ''Cambria'' until 1994, when a reorganisation of the RNR led to the abandonment of seagoing tenders.Davies J.D. (2013), ''Britannia's Dragon: A Naval History of Wales''. The History Press, London. . ''Cambria'' is one of only three RNR units to have a satellite unit. The Swansea-Tawe Division, based at

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

, began its life as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Wireless unit in 1932. Having originally begun life with just one recruit, the unit had expanded to 48 members by 1970. The unit was briefly commissioned as the

stone frigate A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. "Stone frigate" is an informal term that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a ' sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04 ...

HMS ''Dragon'' from 1984 to 1994, but was subsequently made subordinate to ''Cambria'' and rechristened to its current name.

References

External links

HMS Cambria
Royal Navy Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Cambria Royal Navy bases in Wales Royal Navy shore establishments Vale of Glamorgan Military installations established in 1947