Furious soldiers uploaded photographs of the ‘extremely horrific’ circumstances of their deteriorating, maggot-infested housing at the Royal Navy installation known as HMS Collingrad, prompting the facility’s management to decide to demolish the deplorable living accommodations.
The Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Martin Connell, made the announcement that Vivian Block would be shut down after military troops likened the filthy circumstances aboard HMS Collingwood to Stalingrad, the Russian city that was destroyed during the Second World War.
The senior naval officer in charge of the 39,410 Senior Service members’ welfare acknowledged that more needed to be done to provide sailors with “the housing they deserve.”
His remarks came after sailors at the Fareham, Hampshire, training camp broke ranks to publish images of the appalling circumstances of the facility, which had been destroyed by floods and was without hot water or heating for the whole winter.
In other photos, troops could be seen squeezing into tiny quarters and sleeping on camp beds, while in others, damaged bathrooms and collapsing walls could be seen. Even sailors said their refrigerators were “filled with maggots.”
Vice Adm Connell posted on Twitter yesterday night in response to rising calls for action, saying: “Last week I visited HMS Collingwood to witness the condition of accommodations for myself.” I’ve decided to shut Vivian Block despite recent attempts, and everyone impacted will be moved. We obviously need to take more steps to provide our sailors with the lodging they both need and demand.
The sailors at Collingwood claim that in addition to dealing with faulty showers, radiators, clogged and overflowing toilets, and fire alarms that go off nonstop late at night, they also have to deal with silverfish and maggots living in refrigerator freezers.
A number of staff members have criticized the Navy’s maintenance procedures and are calling for immediate improvements. One sailor said: “The condition of the accommodations is ludicrous.” We have officially reported it, and we have been advised to go forward. Every week, there are a number of complaints, I can say that for sure.
“[Sailors] have all been placed in congested quarters; two-person rooms have had six or seven occupants.” a few in mixed blocks. The worst thing I’ve ever seen was a fridge door covered with maggots and other insects.
We’re simply all tired of it. If they are able to, many wish to put in their resignation and go.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, a Gosport MP whose district includes Collingwood, claims she has received a deluge of complaints from sailors and their families over the base’s poor state.
She told MailOnline that she was happy that the Second Sea Lord’s statement was now being taken seriously.
“We must treat them with the respect and consideration they deserve if we keep asking members of the military forces to stand up and take over for other public functions.”
We spend a lot of time and money making sure that our training continues to produce a world-beating fleet, a Navy insider told MailOnline.
“It is encouraging that choices are now being taken to guarantee that deficiencies in support aspects within these facilities are being rectified,” says the author. “This will ensure that the Royal Navy continues to recruit the best and keep its highly skilled and adaptive crew.”
However, concerns have been voiced over how long it took military leaders to take action.
In May 2022, Vivian Block was shut down due to fire alarm problems that raised safety concerns. This resulted to the cancellation of many promotion courses, a decision that retired Vice Admiral Bob Cooling called “outrageous” and “dreadful.”
Following Vice Adm Connell’s revelation last night, additional residents turned to social media to express their impressions of Collingwood’s housing. Some of them said that the block had been in ruin “for years” before Connell made his declaration.
I stayed in Vivian two years ago, someone remarked. Because there was a chance that pieces of the structure may come off, there was fence around the perimeter.
“These accommodation difficulties have been known about for years; only now are they being addressed as a result of public attention.” The 2017 heating enhancements are the same.
Another individual commented: “You can’t even take care of what you have, and retention and recruiting are at their lowest levels in decades. Heads must roll.
Act now, according to Luke Pollard, the shadow minister for the armed forces for Labour.
He said that the Conservatives were failing the military people who were had to live in abhorrent circumstances while serving their nation.
Long delayed effort to get staff out of the appalling housing at HMS Collingwood is appreciated, but it’s obvious that ministers need to raise standards across the broader defense complex.
“Poor military housing lowers morale and motivates more of our service members to depart,” the statement reads. More personnel will leave the military if ministers continue to disregard this issue, as they have done for more than ten years.
Over the next ten years, the Ministry of Defence stated it would invest £1.6 billion in new barracks and base housing.
A Royal Navy spokesman stated in a statement last month that the military was “informed of the current challenges being experienced aboard HMS Collingwood.”
The Defence Infrastructure Organization (DIO) has verified that they are collaborating with contractors to address the problems as soon as feasible, the spokesperson stated.
Staff members across the whole site get frequent updates.
She noted that during the recent floods, the majority of the staff were relocated to bunks in cabins or camp beds on messdecks, which are spaces for entertainment and meals.
The recent flooding at HMS Collingwood, according to her, was brought on by too much rain, not by problems with the site’s infrastructure or upkeep.
Many of our recruits were temporarily relocated at this period as a precaution, but they have now returned to their unaffected housing, all within 24 hours.
“There was no influence on training, and throughout, our major focus was the safety and care of our workers.”
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