War and defence World War II World War II brought overwhelming
change to the Peninsula with the building up of a substantial
local defence presence. During World War II, thousands of
American servicemen were stationed at the Naval Base at
Rosneath. There was also the naval hospital at Portkil and a
number of other defence-related establishments. Today, little
remains at Rosneath to show just how big the operation there
was. The story of the Rosneath Naval Base is recounted here by
Dennis Royal, but for a really detailed picture, you will need
to read his book United States Navy Base Two: Americans at
Rosneath 1941-45. Post war years In the years following World
War II, the Navy used the Gareloch as a mooring area for
redundant battleships. Brian Salmon tells the story of
'Cocooning'. The Cold War and after Though the Clyde Naval Base
(Faslane) has been in operation since World War II, it was
during the tense years of the Cold War that it assumed a key
role in the UK's defence strategy. The relatively secluded