Chatham's Military Heritage

The Medway town of Chatham has a rich military heritage dating back to the Roman occupation. Remains of a Roman military building on the high ground above the town were discovered in 1779. Following the Battle of Aylesford in AD 455, this same strategic high ground was occupied by one of the victorious Jutish war-like tribes, the Ceatta, from which the town takes its name. In this new book, local military historian Clive Holden focuses on Chatham’s most active military period, from the founding of the Royal Dockyard in the mid-16th century to the Royal Navy’s withdrawal in 1984 and the subsequent closure of its other military facilities since then. It covers Chatham’s activities in both World Wars and the Cold War as well as earlier conflicts with the Dutch and French. The book also details the development of the dockyard; the area’s various barracks, buildings, forts, and fortifications and the social and environmental effects they had on the locality together with some of the major military personalities connected with the town.