HMS Abastor was a Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 training establishment involved in the planning of PLUTO

Pluto

Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...

, the undersea pipeline that supplied the allied troops with fuel during the liberation of Europe in 1944. It was situated at Tilbury

Tilbury

Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...

, in Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

. There was another PLUTO training establishment under the name HMS Abatos

HMS Abatos

HMS Abatos was a Royal Navy Shore establishment responsible for the planning of PLUTO, the undersea pipeline that supplied the allied troops with fuel during the liberation of Europe in 1944, after D-Day...

 at Woolston

Woolston

Woolston is a civil parish in the borough of Warrington, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It has a population of 7,868. It was the birthplace of Old Billy, the oldest horse that ever lived ....

, Southampton

Southampton

Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

.

Abastors nominal depot ship

Depot ship

A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...

 was NAB Interlude (43627), a Naval Auxiliary Boat which took the form of a petrol-driven harbour launch. It was in service as a depot ship from 1 November 1943 through until July 1945, when it was transferred back to being a harbour launch.