On the shoreline.

A low cemented cairn of stones topped by a large stone on which a brass plaque is affixed. The plaque is inscribed in English in raised lettering. The memorial was dedicated on September 10, 2000.

Rosneath Bay was chosen as the area of the base as its location in Firth of Clyde provided deep water channels that were considered excellent for ship operations and sufficient land at Rosneath estate was provided that was both flat for tanks, combined with a hilly and wooded area that provided excellent protective coverage for buildings. The initial construction of the base was started when funds were provided as part of the Lend-Lease agreement. Contract workers and materials started to arrive in June 1941. In July 1941, the American Civil Engineer Corps and Seabees along with civilian personnel arrived to find that the Royal Engineers, 996 Dock Operating Company constructing a shallow water jetty for barges. In August 1941, 150 Irish workmen were contracted and began work immediately. Although shiploads of construction machinery arrived from the US, work was delayed due to the lack of a rock crusher, which meant the local quarry, which was 25 miles away, needed to be used for the delivery of aggregate. By December 1941, work was advanced, on the barracks, hospital, reservoirs, roads, and the water filter and purification plant.

In the same month, the United States joined the war and the scope of work was reduced by one-third. Instead of the three specialties of submarine facilities, destroyer facilities, and repair shops being offered at the base, it was decided to remove the destroyer facilities. Any work for the destroyer facilities was subsequently canceled and the tank farm, hospital, and support functions were all reduced in size, to take cognizance of the smaller size of the base.

On 24 August 1942, the base was again commissioned by the United States Navy to train amphibious craft sailors as part of combined operations preparations for the Allied invasion of French North Africa, which was known as Operation Torch. The most important training aspect of those preparations was a naval fire-fighting course and a practice-landing course.

Rosneath House became the locus for planning Operation Torch. In November and December 1942, the 29th Seabees arrived to continue maintenance and construction in preparation for Operation Torch. The Seabees completed the marine railway, provided 20 Nissen huts for barracks, eight 10000 barrel fuel tanks with a pumping station and fuel lines. They also built a laundry and roads to service the area as well as renovating a number of buildings to provide a hospital and admin offices.

The Green Isle area of Rosneath which was a heavily wooded area provided ideal cover for a military camp that was capable of billeting 4500 men, who were part of the operation. Naval personnel who couldn't be billeted on-site, numbering 6300 officers and men, stayed with families in Helensburgh. British commandos who were part of the combined operation also stayed in Helensburgh.

Once Operation Torch was completed, the base was returned to the Royal Navy on 1 February 1943, except for the facilities needed for US Submarine Squadron 50 which continued to operate, dock space for USS Beaver, and the Seabee camp at Clachan House in Rosneath. All the American personnel was transferred to the Springtown based in Derry, except for the 230 Civil Engineer Corps.

On 20 August 1943, the base was again reactivated by the United States Navy, to act as the main receiving station for personnel who needed to be assigned to a specific vessel or location. During that year, up until August 1944, thousands of men arrived from the US, to be transferred to duties on ships and naval bases that were located all over the United Kingdom. The base provided training, supply, and maintenance crews for increasingly larger units as the war progressed, including the 11th Amphibious Force consisting of 1900men. Other units were also supported that consisted of over 5000 sailors.

On 5 May 1945, the base was decommissioned by the US Navy and in June 1945 the Seabees left, reverting its name to HMS Rosneath.

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, en.wikipedia.org

Source of photo: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

ROSNEATH NAVAL BASE

1941 – 1945

THIS MARKER IS DEDICATED TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY

CIVIL ENGINEER CORPS OFFICERS, AMERICAN CIVILIAN

CONTRACTORS AND CONSTRUCTION BATTALIONS WHO BUILT

AT ROSNEATH THE FIRST UNITED STATES NAVAL BASE OF

THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN MAINLAND BRITAIN.

IT ALSO HONOURS THE THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN AND

BRITISH FORCES WHO/ SERVED AT ROSNEATH AND THOSE

WHO TRAINED HERE FOR THE INVASIONS OF NORTH

AFRICA (1942), SICILY (1943) AND FRANCE (1944)

PLACED HERE IN THE YEAR 2000 BY THE UNITED KINGDOM STATE SOCIETY,

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,

AND THE ROSNEATH ANVIL TRUST