War time damage at two London reservoirs

Abstract

It is perhaps inevitable that major infrastructure installations become a target during wartime. While the ‘Dambusters raid’ was perhaps the most notable example of the Second World War, damage was also inflicted on a number of British dams during that conflict. The paper describes the experiences at two London water supply reservoirs, the Queen Mary, a large earth embankment storage reservoir and Honor Oak, a brick-arched roof service reservoir. The extent of the damage inflicted is described along with the emergency remedial works undertaken at the time as well as the longer term consequences.