Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and successor: Directorate of Tube...

AB 5

1943-1947

This series of blueprints consists of drawings of buildings and equipment at the Chalk River Laboratory, and lists and indexes to the drawings of certain buildings.

During the first year of operation, most documents were issued as committee papers. Many pieces in the series have a building number. For the index to these see AB 5/1

See also

Public Record(s)

English

884 flat sheet(s)

Subject to 30 year closure

Topics

Research

In October 1945 the Government decided to establish a Research Establishment to investigate all aspects of atomic energy: prior to that time Britain's effective contribution to such research had been made by the seconding of research teams to the U.S. atomic energy project and by co-operation with the Government of Canada in development the Chalk River Laboratories of the National Research Council.

The Harwell Air Station of the R.A.F was chosen as the site and the R.A.F handed over to the Ministry of Supply on 1 January 1946 although the Director, Dr. J D Cockcroft, and some of the senior staff stayed on in Chalk River for a time. The existing buildings of the Harwell airfield were converted into Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and Biological Laboratories and building began on GLEEP (Graphite Low Energy Experimental Pile) and BEPO (British Experimental Pile).