View from W.

Description View from W.

Date 30/5/1997

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number D 17621 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 652913

Scope and Content World War II gas de-contamination centre, World War I and II Naval Base, Lyness, Hoy, Orkney Islands At Lyness on Hoy, close to the sounds which made up the main fleet anchorage, naval quarters, stores and an oil depot were established during World War I and were considerably developed in World War II to become the Base Headquarters, HMS Proserpine. The base came to include an extensive area for the repair of anti-submarine boom nets, 16 above-ground oil storage tanks and, beneath the nearby hill of Wee Fea, six very large underground fuel tanks which were capable of storing some 100,000 tons of oil. This long, low brick-built structure is a de-contamination station, purpose-built to cleanse personnel in the event of a gas attack or other forms of contamination. It is of a mirrored two-halved design, one half for males, the other for females. Each half contained an undressing area for the removal - and eventual incineration - of contaminated clothing, an area set aside for showers and eye douches, and a drying and dressing area. The tall central block contained the water tanks for the paired showers and douches. The chimney for the boiler is also visible. At the heart of the Orkney archipelago, Scapa Flow was the main fleet anchorage for the Royal Navy during both World Wars. Its vital importance led to the creation of one of the most concentrated defence networks in Britain. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Medium Colour negative

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