Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A possible conun drum (nicknamed Conundrums) used for laying the pipeline of the Second World War PLUTO project (Pipeline Under The Ocean) is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 on the beach at Greatstone-on-Sea. These drums were attached to the rear of pipeline-laying ships, and from them an undersea pipeline was unravelled across the English Channel to provide fuel for the Allied forces in the north of France. Online sources report that during the pipeline-laying process; one of the conun drums broke free from its ship and washed up on the beach at Greatstone-on-Sea. It is thought the conun drum recorded here may be that particular example. By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959; it had been removed. This feature was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East RCZAS NMP project.

Monument Types

• MILITARY INSTALLATION (Modern - 1944 AD? to 1946 AD?)

Full description

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The conun drum is located at TR 0842 2201, approximately 30m to the seaward side of the Second World War anti-invasion beach scaffolding at Greatstone-on-Sea (Monument Number 1533948). It is rectangular in plan view, measuring 13 by 18 metres. These drums were attached to the rear of pipeline-laying ships, and their considerable size was due to the fact that the rigid metal pipeline could not be wound onto a drum of smaller diameter. Online sources report that during the pipeline-laying process; one of the conun drums broke free from its ship and washed up on the beach at Greatstone-on-Sea. These websites (noted here in the Sources section) contain ground-based photographs of the stranded drum, complete with its unravelling pipeline. It is thought that the conun drum mapped and recorded here is this particular documented example. It can also clearly be seen at this location in an RAF oblique aerial photograph of 1947. By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959; the conun drum had been removed (1-5).

<1> 1946, NMR CPE/UK/1752 3002-3 21-SEPT-1946 (Photograph). SWX23759.

<2> World Wide Web page (Unspecified Type). SWX23985.

<3> World Wide Web page (Unspecified Type). SWX23989.

<4> RAF, 1947, NMR RAF/CAL/UK/1 0098 02-JUN-1947 (Photograph). SWX23611.

<5> RAF, 1959, NMR RAF/58/2778 0199-0200 01-MAY-1959 (Photograph). SWX23876.

Sources and further reading

Related records