Sandown Bay was the setting of a bit of a World War II-style invasion on Friday 13th May when over 180 people packed into Browns Cafe to hear historian and author, Tim Wander, tell the extraordinary story of PLUTO, the Pipeline Under The Ocean.
It was standing-room only after every chair and picnic bench in the place had been filled for the latest Arc Seminar.
Tim described the phenomenal and ambitious engineering effort that saw D-Day fuel pipelines laid across the Solent from Lepe to Thorness, then to Shanklin, Sandown and Yaverland, before crossing the channel to Cherbourg. The pipeline stretched across the Island to huge open fuel tanks hidden in Hungerberry Wood near Shanklin where the pipeline then split to pumping stations at Shanklin and Sandown. The 14 pumps at Sandown were hidden in the Granite fort that is now the zoo and in the buildings that still stand at Browns.
Tim took the audience on a rapid walk across the island, setting the scene with a description of life in Sandown and on Culver Cliff in 1944 and then showed what few traces are still left from this amazing adventure. Sadly there is very little left now, just the shell of the military effort that once dominated this coast. All that is except for the miraculous little wooden pavilion tucked away at the bottom of the golf course. This was the PLUTO power station, the generators that powered the pumps, disguised as the groundsman’s shed it was before, and after, the War Office commandeered it for a bigger role… and it is almost exactly as it was 65 years ago. The evening was topped off with a walk to the pavilion itself, its survival so remarkable and poignant.
Tim Wander said:
“It was my privilege to tell the story of PLUTO on the Isle of Wight in one of the rooms where a vital pump once sat and I was amazed and pleased by the huge turnout and keen interest in this part of the Island’s long and varied history.
“Thank you to everyone who contributed memories on the night and in follow up calls and emails – these have opened up many on-going lines of new research. It is also a privilege to help with the first stage of the restoration of the original PLUTO power pavilion and it is vital that we tell the story of these crucial times, especially to younger generations. We must also strive to protect our historic buildings and preserve our industrial and military heritage. These are the places where history was made and for brief moments in time they were the most important and most secret places in the world”.
Ian Boyd from Arc said:
“It was really wonderful to hear so much interest, knowledge and personal reminiscence from those attending. There is such a passion to see the Island’s Pluto story told, for everyone, and for it be a living part of the Bay’s present and future.
“This history is a fragile thing and so much is already lost, but the audience energised us all to not let this happen at Yaverland. The project to save and restore the power station pavilion is underway and the work of the Bay Coastal Community Team will continue, now with offers of help and support from so many local people!”
If you remember PLUTO, Sandown, Shanklin or Culver during the War and have photographs or memories of this critical time in the Island’s history, email [email protected] for Tim and Arc’s PLUTO research.
