Section of PLUTO Fuel Pipe

Cable sample from PLUTO, the Second World War operation 'Pipe Line Under The Ocean'. Probably made by Glover's of Trafford Park in 1944.

The operation PLUTO fuel delivery system was used to support the Normandy landings and the liberation of Europe by Allied forces. It was designed to supply fuel from storage tanks in southern England to the Allied armies in France. By securing reliable fuel supplies it ensured that mechanised warfare could continue uninterrupted. The PLUTO stsyem was an impressive feat of engineering. In total 710 miles of PLUTO pipeline was manufactured. The cable was usually manufactured in continuous lengths of 40 miles, weighing 2000 tons. The weight of the cable, pressurised with water for laying, was around 67 tons per nautical mile.

W. T. Glover & Company Limited, located in Trafford Park, Manchester, was a manufacturer of very strong, steel armoured high voltage electrical cable. They used their facilities and expertise to manufacture a hollow version (without its core of electrical conductors) to be used in PLUTO.