CHEMICAL DEFENCE ESTABLISHMENT FACILITIES AT NANCEKUKE, CORNWALL [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: CHEMICAL DEFENCE ESTABLISHMENT FACILITIES AT NANCEKUKE, CORNWALL [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: DED 281
  • Other titles: PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Various shots record in detail the buildings and layout of the Chemical Defence Establishment facility at Nancekuke, Cornwall, and also show the surrounding area, including Redruth and Portreath.
  • Description: (Reel 1) Aerial views of Redruth, Cornwall including views of the Basset Monument at the top of Carn Brea. Surrounding countryside and traffic on the A30 dual carriageway. Distant aerial shots of the Nancekuke facilities, and the cliffs and sea close by. Further aerial views of Redruth. CDE Nancekuke, this time much closer in, showing the various buildings, spread over three connected sites. (The runways of the old RAF Portreath can also be seen.) Cliff views, approaching from the sea, then swooping back over the CDE complex. Numerous aerial views, including some zoom shots of particular facilities. (Quality of exposure varies.) Nearby coastal village (Portreath) and further aerial shots of Nancekuke. Nearby rocky cove and cliff faces; back over the village (small lighthouse on headland). Ground views of coast, clifftop, cove etcs, Cliffside. Ground views of main gate at CDE Nancekuke with MOD sign MINISTRY OF DEFENCE NANCEKUKE RESTRICTED ENTRY PERMITS MUST BE SHOWN CAMERAS NOT PERMITTED. Long shot. Panning shot (South Site ?). Building R9, the Marine Laboratory. Interior of the lab, showing elaborate set up of clear glass tanks, many with shrimps in them. Lab technicians fill one of the tanks with red fluid; these scenes are staged, as there is more than one take. Close-up of shrimps swimming in red and clear water, plus views of a more traditional aquarium, with fish and shrimps. Extended views of this; the fish fight for food and, at one point, a live lobster is dropped into the tank. (27 mins) (Reel 2) Brief views of effluent biodegradation apparatus, a series of tanks and drums through which effluent is filtered. Agitation machines within the laboratory, sealed drums that rotate on an axis. They are overseen by a technician in a blue boiler suit, who cannot resist smiling at the presence of the camera. Various shots of the tumbling drums. Panning shot of large laboratory with fixed, sealed vats (referred to as "P2S" on brief accompanying shotlist). Water pours into a glass cylinder before dispensing through pipes into the vats. Technicians carry out checks and make adjustments. Control panel; bearded technician stands nearby. White powder is scooped into large plastic bags by lab worker wearing a respirator. Further miscellaneous views of machinery, glass tubing, pipes and technicians at work. (Some sort of filtration/purification system?) Large glass vat with "QVF" printed on it. Another large apparatus with glass containers and tubes; sample of clear fluid (purified water ?) is decanted using a large glass pipette into a sample bottle labelled MMS. Further views of the apparatus. Exterior views showing the outside of one of the buildings at Nancekuke; large metal drums (contents unknown) are on the ground outside. Camera pans up to show towers and open staircases. Wide shot showing the destructor facility; chimney pumps out smoke. Interior views show a furnace containing a metal container being incinerated. Views of control equipment. Further containers in a crate prior to being incinerated (partial stencilled label "...achrymat..."); one of them is placed in the incinerator by a man wearing a respirator. Close ups of gauges labelled "Effluent Feed", "Air to Effluent Burner", "Main Burner", "Pilot Burner" etc. Long shots of the whole facility showing effluent storage tanks (?) and chimney. Cows rest in a field adjacent to the facility. Further views of technicians working on the control equipment. (18 mins 45 secs) (Reel 3) General ground level views of the Nancekuke site. Some of the buildings have metal drums outside them. One of the buildings is labelled "P6". Exterior of building seen above with stairs and gantries; pan to show storage tanks and destructor (open air pools/filtration tanks also visible, as are a cluster of green metal drums). Close-ups of the open air pools and the system of pipes feeding them. More shots of the building, with metal barrels piled up at the rear. Further panning shots; various personnel walk around the site. Front of the building; more barrels. Workshop doors. Building P9; pan to long, low building with large windows (canteen?). Long shot of large lab buildings. Panning shots of other buildings (Central Tower ?), large hangar. (Blank leader for several seconds.) Building 48. Various low-level buildings, in cluding the marine lab seen above. Man runs past. Car park in front of one of the buildings. Rear of low-level buildings. Small building near car park. Central tower building? Long shot of another low building, which has a flagpole (no flag) and a ground level pipeline leading away from it. Close ups of low level buildings (one a Nissen hut); pan to building with tower. Building 52. Long shot large hangar. Panning shot showing site buildings from some distance away (although the entrance to a bunker is close by). Rear of another low-level building. Long shot of complex; trees in foreground. Building 89, some sort of storage shed; manual pumping apparatus with large wheels is outside. Large number of red pressurised cylinders can be seen. Ministry of Defence Police sign and building; camera pans across Central Site. Reservoir. Rear of workshops, central site; various other buildings. Chimneys. Effluent tanks? (covered). P2S building (?), various views. Building 1000; large fixed cylindrical tanks outside. Another building with pipes and tanks outside. Dull green building (more tanks outside). Workshop; door is open and agitators can be seen spinning inside. Pan across site. Large black bus parked; pan to building (K2 ?) woth large doors open; an ambulance in inside. Lorry drives past. (21 mins 40 secs)
  • Alternative Title: PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: DED 281
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions:
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1975
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Porton Down (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 3 Running time: 65 mins (ca)
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    DED 281

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