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"Job 99" was an ambitious petrol supply initiative, says Tim Smith*
A remarkable project was completed by Stewarts and Lloyds Corby works commencing in 1942. Over 1000 miles (1 600km) of carbon steel tube from 2" (50mm) to 3.5" (89mm) bore and 0.25" (6mm) wall thickness was produced, to traverse the Channel between England and France to supply petrol to the Allied landing forces.
'Job 99' was conceived by H A Hammick and B J Ellis whose names were combined to give the project name 'HAMEL'.
Two types of pipe were in use, a smaller diameter tube adapted from telegraph submarine cable laid in a conventional manner by a cable laying ship and the larger diameter less flexible steel pipe. This combined approach was known as PLUTO, Pipe Line Under The Ocean, the 'ocean' referred to the English Channel.
The cable method was called 'HAIS' (named from the suppliers, Hartley-Anglo- Iranian-Siemens), this was flexible hollow cable with the bore lined with lead. However, so much lead would be required to make the 1000 miles of pipe deemed necessary, only a few HAIS pipelines were laid. The larger pipe lines were solid walled steel tube made...