Came across this in the World Naval Ships Forum:

"There is an interesting account of the time AFD4 was at Jarrow Slake on the Tyne during WW1 to be found at www.bb35library.usstexasbb35.com If you follow through the menus to History-North Sea-North Sea operations-20th october-20th November. There is a copy of Smiths Dock Monthly, a works magazine the October 1919 issue, that gives details of the preparation, arrival and vessels docked in AFD4 during WW1"

Tynebuoy had sent me a photo of the dock at Jarrow Slake some time ago but I had never realised just how active the dock had been. See following link for a bit more about the dock.

http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/M-Ships ... k1912.html

Looking through old copies of newspapers there are plenty of references in the first years of the 1900s to proposals to base an Admiralty Floating Dock on the Tyne. It took a war time emergency to make it happen.

That must have taken some finding Dave.

VERY VERY Interesting!

Yes, I'd spent nearly all day looking for information on the floating docks and came across a few little gems, but this was the most surprising.

Have you seen the stuff Ian Buxton wrote about the AFD's.

Was in the WSS Warship Supplement. I managed to sort Kevin out with copies.

Whickham wrote:Yes, I'd spent nearly all day looking for information on the floating docks and came across a few little gems, but this was the most surprising.

But which was the one that run aground off trow rocks? infact I think some of it is still there.

I'd forgotten all about that. Must be 45 years since it last saw the light of day in my mind. However I think it was not a floating dock but either a lock gate or a dock caisson. I am sure that I will be corrected.

It was a dock gate - visible throughout my childhood but a storm a few years ago saw off the final remains.

Dennis Maccoy wrote:It was dock gate - visible throughout my childhood but a storm a few years ago saw off the final remains.

Ahh thanks Dennis I got a right rollican when I was caught swimming out to her from trow rocks thats how I remember , mind it was a few years ago and I was only 10 year old

Can anyone remember (or know) the detail of what this wrecking of the lock gate was all about? I seem to recollect it was going from the Tyne to Sunderland when it somehow came adrift. When was this?

Whickham wrote:Can anyone remember (or know) the detail of what this wrecking of the lock gate was all about? I seem to recollect it was going from the Tyne to Sunderland when it somehow came adrift. When was this?

I may be 'way out', but 'I think' some of the floating docks went to Southampton, was it one of these that never got there?