Forthcoming Book:

The Portsdown Fuel Bunker
 Created 10-07-2007   Last update 21-01-2012
 

The Book Timeline
21-01-2012 The book will now be published as an 'E-book' through Amazon. However significant new information regarding the Fuel Bunker has come to light and publication will now take place after this has been incorporated into the book.
09-01-2012 Approach being made to Royal Navy for help in publication.
31-12-2011 No reply from 2nd Publisher
30-08-2011 Entire manuscript plus sample photos requested by and sent to 2nd publisher (see 25-06-2011)
12-08-2011 Seeking corporate sponsorship
10-08-2011 Submission rejected by 4th publisher - too specialist for their list
08-08-2011 Synopsis sent to 4th publisher
02-08-2011 Submission rejected by 3rd publisher - not what they are looking for
18-07-2001 Sent a hardcopy 3 chapter submission to 3rd publisher
12-07-2011 Submission rejected by 1st literary agent - too specialist for their list
11-07-2011 57 page submission made to 1st literary agent
25-06-2011 Approach made to 2nd publisher
16-06-2011 Submission rejected by 1st publisher - not what they are looking for
07-06-2011 250 word synopsis sent to 1st publisher
06-06-2011 Book finished
06-06-2007 Began research and writing
04-04-1964 Discovered the Fuel Bunker
 

My first book about the  Portsdown Fuel Bunker is now finished. It consists of 31,000 words and contains 112 illustrations of the bunker and the fuel pipeline from Portsdown to the Oil Fuel Jetty at Forton, Gosport. The book is written in autobiographical style detailing not just the facts and photographs but also telling the story of how these facts were won: from 1964 to 2011.

The sites included are: the Fuel Bunker 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 Oil Depot.

There are also many first hand personal accounts of the bunker's operational life and a detailed study of its history, construction, operation and decommission. 

I have been staggered by the level of co-operation that I have received during my research and would like to thank everyone for their help.
 

Here are some of the photos that will appear in the book:
 

Prototype front cover - by Stevie Hunt
 
 
 
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 bunker 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.