The  Royal  Naval  Mining  Dep6t  at  Grangemouth  was  instituted  in
January,  1916,  when  the  three  largest  sheds  in  Grange  Dock — all  belong-
ing to  the  Caledonian  Railway  Company — were  requisitioned  by  the
Admiralty  for  the  storage  of  mines,  sinkers,  etc.,  these  being  removed
as  wanted  and,  with  the  help  of  the  company's  hydraulic  cranes,  placed
on  board  vessels  of  the  destroyer  class  of  mine-layer.  At  this  time  the
dep6t  was  in  charge  of  the  Officer-in-Charge  at  Crombie  Ammunition
Dep6t.  In  June,  1917,  an  Engineer-Commander  took  charge.  He  and
his  staff  were  accommodated  in  the  Caledonian  Company's  premises
within  the  Grange  Dock.  A  month  later,  operations  were  begun  to
convert  the  largest  of  the  three  sheds  into  a  workshop  for  the  assembling
of  naine  parts,  the  testing  of  mines,  and  various  other  operations  in  con-
nection with  them  ;  though  this  new  departure  was  not  fully  developed
until  the  end  of  the  year.  By  that  time  an  area  in  the  Grange  Dock
extending  to  31  acres  had  been  acquired  from  the  company,  and  six
large  sheds  were  erected  thereon  by  Admiralty  contractors,  lines  of
railway  being  also  laid  to  connect  the  sheds  with  the  Caledonian  Railway
system.  About  85,000  tons  of  slag  and  ashes  were  required  to  bring
the  land  up  to  the  required  level.  Three  of  the  new  sheds  were  used  for
the  assembling  of  mine  parts.  The  others  were  utilised  for  the  storage
of  mines  ready  for  shipment  on  the  mine-laying  vessels.  The  sheds
became  available  for  use  in  April,  1918.  Several  dock  sheds  were  also
converted  into  Admiralty  workshops ;  spacious  dining  halls,  laboratories,
instruction  rooms,  etc.,  were  erected,  some  additional  acres  of  ground
being  taken  over  for  the  purpose,  and  before  long  the  Admiralty  con-
trolled, within  the  limits  of  the  Grangemouth  Docks,  an  exceptionally
large  and  well-equipped  mining  dep6t  where  hundreds  of  men  and  women
were  employed  on  work  in  connection  with  the  mines.
