Outshoots from Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory Construction Projects, Early Cold War

The Naval Civil Engineer Laboratory (NCEL), known as “the Lab,” began in 1942 at the Advance Base Proving Ground in Davisville, RI, concentrating on the development, testing, and evaluation of equipment which led to WWII victory. In 1948, NCEL moved to Solomons, Maryland and then to Port Hueneme in 1950, where it was renamed the U.S. Navy Civil Engineering Research and Evaluation Laboratory.
The Naval Civil Engineer Laboratory’s (NCEL) essential mission was to study and develop techniques, equipment, and materials for the construction, maintenance, and operation of shore activities, advanced bases, amphibious equipment and undersea structures.
It was the only laboratory established to serve NAVFAC and the naval shore establishment. NCEL was a complex of structures, facilities, and people, most of them located on a 23-acre compound adjacent to the deep-water harbor of Port Hueneme. Its proximity to earth-space, hydrospace, and airspace allowing the staff to work with the vast shore establishment, ocean engineering, and satellite programs. NCEL was a reflection of today’s Navy: on land, in the sea, and in the air.
Film digitization made possible through a generous donation from the Navy Seabee Foundation whose support enables the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum to preserve, protect, and share Seabee history.
Black/White footage
No audio
Film #: USNSM Film reel 905 H264