Monument record 0661000000 - E of Weedon Hill Farm
Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- Planning Notification Area: WW2 PLUTO pumping station
Map
Type and Period (2)
- (Former Type) PIPELINE (Constructed 1944, Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- (Former Type) PUMPING STATION (Constructed 1944, Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
Description
World War 2 Control Station for Pipelines Under The Ocean (PLUTO). Laid across the channel immediately after D-Day to take petrol to the army and RAF in France. Station now dis-used (B1).
'Pumping Station' marked on 6-inch Provisional Revised edition OS map of 1944-1953; 'Pumping Station (disused)' marked on 1981 1:10,000 OS map and on modern OS MasterMap (B2).
Operation Pluto involved the construction of fuel oil pipelines under the English Channel between England and France. Following testing of prototypes in 1942, in 1944 a 1,600km network of pipelines was constructed across-country to transport oil from ports including Liverpool and Bristol to the Isle of Wight and Dungeness on the south coast. The undersea sections were laid in just 10 hours and came ashore in France at Cherbourg and Ambleteuse. The pipeline eventually extended as far as the Rhine (B3).
Sources (3)
- <1>SBC19290 Unpublished document: Elliott Viney. 1995. Letter from Viney E to Farley M (extract).
- <2>SBC22658 Verbal communication: Julia Wise (BCC). 2006. Wise J (BCC) pers comm, June 2006, from 6-inch and 1:10,000 OS maps.
- <3>SBC22659 Digital archive: 2006. Information on Operation Pluto from 'Wikipedia' and 'Combined Operations' websites.
Location
| Grid reference | SP 80690 16340 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | QUARRENDON, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
May 27 2004 9:22AM
