The story starts on the Saturday night of 31st January; a Saturday night, providentially, and the only night of a seven-day week when the Works are closed, the plant shut down, and no night-shift operating. On duty were three men- Time-keeper Bill Chambers, Patrolman Alf Staggs, and Fireman Bob Felton. They took over at seven o'clock on a wild, stormy night, with a bitter cold wind sweeping across the marshes. But during a long and exceptionally bleak winter there was nothing unusual in those conditions. The evening was spent in the normal way; the two patrolmen making their rounds, and the time-keeper remaining on duty at the Time Office by the entrance to the Works.

      At 1 a.m. on Sunday morning the Police telephoned a warning of an expected very high tide. The patrolmen went down to the river wall to inspect conditions there, and found water beginning to lap over the top. When they reported this to the time-keeper, Mr. Chambers, he telephoned the appropriate works officials- Mr. R. Baker (Chief Patrol), Mr. J. S. Thomson (Assistant General Works Manager), and Mr. J.S. Pavitt (Chief Engineer). Meantime Patrolman Staggs and Fireman Felton resumed their investigations. Staggs returned to the river wall, found conditions were worsening, and reported accordingly to the Time Office from the Jetty telephone. He and Felton were instructed to get back to the Time Office as quickly as possible, for by then the Shell Mex gate-keeper from the adjoining site had rushed in to our Time Office with the news that the river wall the other side of their jetty had given way, and the flood was on top of them. Within a matter of minutes no more telephoning was possible; the switchboard had gone 'dead', and water was already streaming into the entrance.