TIVERTON - Aviation Fuel Distribution Depot WW2

**PETERTHEEATER** · 07-07-2009, 10:30

(Separated from the Beeston Castle thread)

OK PNK; time for you to do your map/old aerial photo thing.

I found a personal reminiscence on a local Tiverton site which states:

The Duchess of Devonshire Dairy, with it’s emblem of a ‘Gainsborough’ lady, stood at the entrance to Willand from Halberton, on the side where the Hide & Skin processing factory, (which moved there in the early 60’s), is now sited. The lorries used to pick up milk from the local farms which the company used to manufacture butter and cheese. During the war, they also made up composite packs for Army rations. Opposite was a petroleum supply for tankers to transport aero fuel to Dunkeswell aerodrome during WW2. For whatever reason, it was also known for the planes to sometimes land on the long drive that led up to Bradfield House.

I believe threfore that the name Tiverton refers to Tiverton Junction; here:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=50.89314 ... =0&src=msa

Somewhere close to the railway in this area.............

For my money it was on the site between the railway and the M5 just south of Willand Road where a siding from the upline can be seen running parallel to the mainline. The site is now redeveloped but there are a couple of WW2 looking structures there.

**PNK** · 07-07-2009, 20:25

Peter,

Tiverton Junction, Willand, in Devon. Well done in finding the missing part of the puzzle.
Almost spot-on. The dump was a little way north of the sewage farm site. I don't have an aerial photo but have theses two maps. The depot was very small an I almost missed it. It appears to have been on maps into the eighties.
What is so wierd is the fact that the Beeston site is near Tiverton in Cheshire.

1971

**PETERTHEEATER** · 08-07-2009, 06:08

Good stuff PNK. Of course, I am a little disappointed that I would have lost my bet if money had actually been put down!

If the 2000 ton holding capacity is accurate - and I believe that it is given the small number of local airfields to service - then the smaller diameter C1 Type tanks were probably used.

Currently, the site is undeveloped which implies contamination; a good indicator when looking for similar sites.

OK. Another one nailed. More to come.

**Engineer** · 10-07-2009, 01:25

Excellent, I put Tiverton down as another name for Beeston Castle, list will need amending.

**PETERTHEEATER** · 10-07-2009, 09:30

Engineer, a word of caution.

Although we have located a Distribution depot at Tiverton Junction, Devon, the Tiverton, Cheshire adjacent to Beeston Castle (BC) (which was a Reserve depot) may be an alternative name of the site of a later stage of BC.

The AP 3236 states that BC held 29,000 tons in D1 tanks (500 ton) which would require a lot more area than C Type tanks of (say) 4000 tons.

PNK opines that the D1 statement is a typo and with the evidence available I agree. D Type tanks appear to be confined to Distribution Depots.

**Engineer** · 10-07-2009, 13:09

Originally Posted by PETERTHEEATER

Engineer, a word of caution.

Although we have located a Distribution depot at Tiverton Junction, Devon, the Tiverton, Cheshire adjacent to Beeston Castle (BC) (which was a Reserve depot) may be an alternative name of the site of a later stage of BC.

The AP 3236 states that BC held 29,000 tons in D1 tanks (500 ton) which would require a lot more area than C Type tanks of (say) 4000 tons.

PNK opines that the D1 statement is a typo and with the evidence available I agree. D Type tanks appear to be confined to Distribution Depots.

Yes, I will await the further research of those with AP3236. The latest images of Beeston Castle are interesting as they show the earthwork in better relief.

**PETERTHEEATER** · 11-07-2009, 09:26

The AP doesn't give any more information that we have now so it's leg work from here or Internet research for me. But, it's surprising what can be found in local history, especially personal recollections, so I will keep at when I have time.