NHER 43340 (Monument) - World War Two fuel storage site, South Denes

March 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two fuel storage site is visible as buildings and earthworks on aerial photographs on South Denes (S1-S5). The site consists of two large circular storage tanks within square embanked enclosures. These tanks get constructed in-between February 1941 and 1944 and are both camouflaged as square buildings in 1944. To the south are another two embanked areas of buildings, one of which also contains circular storage tanks. These are earlier storage facilities and may even relate to a pre-war oil storage depot, however military additions have been made to the site. The two large storage tanks are set within the centre of a minefield. The site is centred on TG 5310 0446, although this point does not correspond to an archaeological feature on the ground. The whole of the Denes was also heavily defended with a variety of pillboxes, gun positions, trenches and barbed wire see NHER 43323 for overview of area. The modern oil storage depot stands on the site of the World War Two tanks.

The two large storage tanks are located at TG 5306 0459 and TG 5307 0453. In 1944-5 the tanks have been camouflaged with a square, pitched-roof outer structure, 15m across (S3-S4). In 1947 the false roofs have been removed and the tanks can be seen clearly (S5). Both tanks are 13m in diameter and sit within a 28m square concrete base, surrounded by a 2-3m wide bank. The tanks have been removed by 1948, although the concrete bases still remain in 1952. A group of three similarly disguised fuel tanks were located 800m to the north, see NHER 27639.

The two smaller fuel or oil storage tanks are located to the south within a 48m square embanked area, centred on TG 5312 0436. These tanks are 7.5m in diameter and are located next to a curved-profile hut, possibly a nissen or similar design. Also within this enclosure is a small curved-profile hut, 2.5m by 3m, with is surrounded by a blast wall. Another flat-roofed rectangular structure is also visible. In 1941 a square structure stands to the immediate west of the tanks, but this has been removed by 1944 (S3). A possible air raid shelter may be visible in its former location, indicated by an earthen mound. This group of buildings is already constructed by September 1940 (S1). It is possible they are pre-World War Two in origin, although the presence of the nissen-type hut and the blast wall, would indicate a military origin for at least part of the site.

To the immediate south of these buildings is another group of buildings, centred on TG 5307 0435. In 1941 four closely spaced curved-profile huts are visible within a slightly embanked square area (S2). One of the huts remains in 1944 and would appear to be a nissen or similar design hut, measuring 10.5m by 3.5m. A larger, again possible curved-profile, hut is also located to the immediate south in 1941. This has been dismantled by 1944 (S3). Two additional rectangular structures are located alongside the quay. A larger rectangular structure is located to the north, 8m by 5m, and this has been painted with camouflage on the roof. It seems likely that these buildings are associated with the possible oil and fuel storage depot, possibly associated with the loading of this fuel onto the ships.
S. Massey (NMP), 2 March 2006.