“Fawley Achievement”. Color, about 40 minutes.

Fawley Achievement is a film about the construction of the Esso Petroleum Company’s refinery at Fawley, Hampshire, on Southampton Water. The film covers the process from clearing the land to the refinery going into operation. It also explains the economic significance of the British Oil refinery expansion program at the time. The film was written and produced by Esso staff members, with Andrew Rice writing the commentary and James McKechnie narrating.

The building of the Esso Petroleum Company’s refinery at Fawley, on Southampton Water in Hampshire, was an important part of Britain’s post-war industrial development. Its official opening in September 1951 by the Prime Minister Clement Attlee confirmed the national significance of the achievement. This film documents the construction of what was to become the largest refinery in Britain and is a tribute to the vision, skill, and energy of those who worked on the project.