Hugh Iorys Hughes
Encyclopedia
Hugh Iorys Hughes was a civil engineer
and unsung hero of World War II
who advised on the design of the Mulberry harbour
s used in Operation Overlord
.
In 1917 Churchill drafted plans for the capture of the islands Borkum
and Sylt
, off the Dutch and Danish coasts. He planned using caissons
to form an artificial harbour when sunk on the seabed. The proposal was shelved and forgotten until 1941, when the unassuming Hughes came up with the same idea while a civil engineer living in London. He submitted detailed plans to the War Office and these were ignored until Hughes' brother, a Navy commander, drew attention to the documents. The project soon gained momentum under Major General D J McMullen and civil engineer Bruce White. The first priority was the construction of two ports in the Clyde estuary
, one of which was Gare Loch
.
Hughes built a prototype for the Mulberry Harbour
s at Conwy Morfa
near his home town of Conwy
.
Hughes' ashes were spread in the Menai Straits after his death in Colchester, Essex.
His former house in Bangor is now let to students of Bangor university
] and has a plaque outside of it in his honour.
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and unsung hero of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who advised on the design of the Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
s used in Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
In 1917 Churchill drafted plans for the capture of the islands Borkum
Borkum
Borkum is an island and a municipality in the Leer District in Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany.-Geography:Borkum is bordered to the west by the Westerems strait , to the east by the Osterems strait, to the north by the North Sea, and to the south by the Wadden Sea...
and Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
, off the Dutch and Danish coasts. He planned using caissons
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
to form an artificial harbour when sunk on the seabed. The proposal was shelved and forgotten until 1941, when the unassuming Hughes came up with the same idea while a civil engineer living in London. He submitted detailed plans to the War Office and these were ignored until Hughes' brother, a Navy commander, drew attention to the documents. The project soon gained momentum under Major General D J McMullen and civil engineer Bruce White. The first priority was the construction of two ports in the Clyde estuary
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
, one of which was Gare Loch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
.
Hughes built a prototype for the Mulberry Harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
s at Conwy Morfa
Conwy Morfa
The Conwy Morfa is a piece of originally marshy-sand based spit, north of the western end of the modern A55 entrance to Conwy in Conwy county borough, north-west Wales....
near his home town of Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
.
Hughes' ashes were spread in the Menai Straits after his death in Colchester, Essex.
His former house in Bangor is now let to students of Bangor university
Bangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
] and has a plaque outside of it in his honour.