Forthcoming Book:

The Portsdown Fuel bunkers

 Created 10-07-2007   Last update 10-07-2007
 

Research is now underway for a new book that I am writing about the Portsdown Fuel Bunkers. It will contain scores of new photographs of the Bunkers and the fuel pipeline from Portsdown to the Oil Fuel Jetty at Forton, Gosport.

The sites to be included are: the Fuel Bunkers both inside and out, the pipeline on the Portsmouth side, its landfall at Fleetlands, its journey through DSDA (formerly RNAD) Frater, the journey across Gosport and Priddy's Hard and its termination at Forton Fuel Depot.

There will also be many first hand personal accounts of the Bunkers operational life and a detailed study of its history, construction, operation and decommission.  If you have anything for that you would like considered for inclusion then please email me.

I have been staggered by the level of co-operation that I have received during my initial research and would like to thank the following people who have helped me so far to make this book a possibility:
 
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth
 

Commodore David Steel R N - Portsmouth Naval Base Commander

Lieutenant Commander Suzy Conway RN - Photographic Vetting

Lieutenant Commander Tony Ford RN - Photographic Vetting
Endeavour12
  John Parsons - Breathing Apparatus Training
Defence Storage & Distribution Agency Frater
 

Richard Morgan - Director

Philippa Talbot - General Manager

Jane McDonald - Security Officer

Steve Smith
Defence Logistics Organisation - Forton Oil Fuel Depot
 

Andy Gaffney - Officer In Charge

Leading Stoker Ged Hallam
Fleet Support Limited
 

Ian Booth - Director

Kev Pearson - Inspector of Works

Andy Collings - Rescue Team Member

Esteban Marrufo - Rescue Team Member

Stephen Coleman - Rescue Team Member

Alan Fletcher - Rescue Team Member

Joss Bond  - Rescue Team Member

Nigel Hume - Responsible Person
Defence Aviation Repair Agency Fleetlands
 

Graham Sargent - Director

Brian Davis - SHE Manager
 

If any of the above persons would like their details amended

or removed then please email me.
 

Here is a taster of what will appear in the book:
 
Rescue Team

As the visit meant an extended period of time underground (over an hour), MoD confined space measures had to be enforced which included Breathing Apparatus training for myself and the use of a trained rescue team to accompany me into the tunnels. These were a great bunch of guys who took good care of me. They are from left to right:

 

Esteban Marrufo, Andy Collings, Joss Bond,

Stephen Coleman and Alan Fletcher.
 
 
 
Pipe Tunnel Doors

This is the entrance to the Pipe (west) Tunnel. The ventilation fans have to be run up for at least 30 minutes before anyone can enter. The BA kits are ready for the four man crew that has to check the Bunkers out for hazards and air purity before anyone else can enter.
 
 
 
Pipe Tunnel

The Pipe Tunnel, so called because there are two 16 inch FFO pipes, one 10" diesel pipe and a sump pipe under the floor. The 4 inch pipe on the tunnel wall is a dry riser used for fire fighting. This tunnel is 2150 feet long to the Northern Portal.
 
 
 
Pump Room

The Pump Room containing all the original machinery. These two electric pumps operated at 350psi and could pump 400 tons of FFO per hour.
 
 
 
Fuel Cell

The end of fuel cell number 1 as seen from the Access (east) Tunnel. This is the smallest of the fuel cells and is 200 feet long, 30 feet wide and 40 feet high. It contained 5,000 tons of FFO. The big ones (cells 4 to 9) contained 17,500 tons each.