Aircraft Refuelling Equipment & Accessories Ground / Air units.
In the early days of British aviation it was a simple matter to refuel aircraft with Motor Spirit from readily available cans supplied by the petrol manufacturers and their distributors. The outbreak of war in 1914 witnessed a rapid growth of airframes and increasingly 'thirsty' engines which combined with the urgency to refuel faster witnessed the evolution of mobile fuel tankers and petrol pumps as we know them. Alongside the development of the mobile refuellers there was an increased need to ensure the quality of the fuel and accurate metering in delivery.
With the advent of jet aircraft and busy air terminals we can see the beginnings of the underground fuel storage and hydrant delivery systems. Follow the links below to generate the timelines that interest you, but you'll need to navigate to the Fuel section of the directory to find the fuel (and oil) production and dsitribution companies.