Reference Sources

The general history of the Submarine Mining service is largely drawn from “History of Submarine Mining in the British Army” by William Baker Brown. It is available as a print-on-demand book from Abe Books (among others.) [Update November 2025 – here is an electronic copy of the book History of Submarine Mining British Army

Brown joined the service in 1885, as an Assistant Instructor in Portsmouth. In 1892 he became Chief Instructor at Chatham, and in 1901 Inspector of Electric
Lights. He was in that post when the service closed in 1905.

Another useful source is Submarine Mines and Torpedoes as applied to Harbour Defences This complements Baker Brown’s book, by focussing on the devices and their operation. It was written by Lt Col John Townsend Bucknill, R.E. who invented or developed much of the technology.

The photographs of mining operations came from the Fort Gilkicker (near Portsmouth) web site.
(Update 2025 – this website is now defunct. Some details are available here

The details of the various camps on Inchkeith, South Queensferry and North Queensferry from 1888 to 1905 came from the journals and photographs of Henry Cadell, copies of which were very kindly provided by his grandson, William Cadell.

Project Gutenberg’s Torpedoes and Torpedo Warfare, by C. W. Sleeman was a useful source of technical information on the operation of mines

The diagrams and explanation of electrical operation are mine, based on information from the books above, and the patent mentioned in the text.

Admiralty charts are from the National Library of Scotland on-line map section

Gordon Barclay kindly provided the War Office maps related to Carlingnose and Inchgarvie.

The Royal Navy – A History from the earliest times to the death of Queen Victoria
by Sir William Laird Clowes explains how the navy evolved – not always smoothly – from sail to steam, hearts of oak to ironsides, and advances in weapons and armour.

Alan Clowe’s Ph D theses on Underwater weapons and the Royal Navy 1869 to 1918 explains the reluctance of the Navy to embrace underwater weapons – torpedoes and mines.

Other material came from Wikipedia.

Errors and omissions are all mine.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks are due to William Cadell, who kindly gave me access to his grandfather’s journals and photographs which brought this article to life.

Boyd Williamson – May 2018, edited and updated July 2021; updated November 2025