In 1941 the refinery was bombed:

On March 13th 1941, an attempt was made to destroy the Shell Oil Refinery at Middleton where aviation fuel for Royal Air Force Spitfires was being produced. A German bomber returning from an aborted night time mission unloaded its deadly cargo in the general vicinity of the refinery. Some bombs fell in fields close to the target, while others fell on Douglas Park housing estate demolishing a semi-detached house and killing the occupants.

From The History of Heysham, A wide-angled view, Flaxington, David, 2001

Visit Heysham Aviation Fuel Works for more information about the refinery.