ed . ▁First ▁Sea ▁Lord , ▁Admir al ▁of ▁the ▁Fle et ▁Earl ▁Beat ty , ▁said , ▁" Wh ether ▁these ▁Y ards ▁are ▁necessary ▁for ▁naval ▁purposes , ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁compet ent ▁judge . ▁As ▁to ▁whether ▁they ▁are ▁necessary ▁for ▁political ▁or ▁social ▁reasons ▁is ▁for ▁the ▁Government ▁to ▁decide . ▁The ▁fact ▁is , ▁that ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁up keep ▁of ▁the ▁Fle et ▁is ▁concerned , ▁they ▁are ▁entirely ▁redundant ." ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁P embro ke - built ▁ship ▁af loat ▁was ▁the ▁h ulk ▁of ▁the ▁iron ▁sc rew ▁fr ig ate ▁, ▁which ▁was ▁broken ▁up ▁in ▁Belg ium ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁In ▁June ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁Admir al ▁Leonard ▁Andrew ▁Bo yd ▁Donald son , ▁the ▁last ▁Captain - Super int endent ▁of ▁P embro ke ▁D ock yard , ▁died ▁aged ▁ 8 1 . ▁ ▁Although ▁active ▁war ships ▁were ▁not ▁based ▁in ▁P embro ke ▁D ock ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁and ▁formal ▁dock yard ▁work ▁ceased ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁the ▁base ▁remained ▁an ▁official ▁Naval ▁D ock yard , ▁and ▁retained ▁a ▁Queen ' s ▁Har bour ▁Master , ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁( one ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁ 5 ▁Q H M s ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁together ▁with ▁those ▁at ▁the ▁currently ▁( 2 0 1 0 ) ▁ext ant ▁bases ▁at ▁Dev on port ,