The old customs office which is still situated down "castletown" where the old naval base was.Not sure what this is used for nowadays but it's a legacy of the place and too good a building to lose, so it must be in use.
This street used to be so busy with sailors, sometimes the army and there was so much activity in castletown if you were to go there now you would never believe it was once that way, the bars and pubs still there now were back then thronging with sailors...and locals girls too if I am to be honest!
I can imagine this customs building was never empty those days with the sailors on and off ships all the while.
This small customs building has probably needed really!
You can find really old pictures of the "Yanks troops" and more from D Day which launched from this port on the portlanders site, link above on the menu-bar.
It looks a real solid building and it's a shame that so many of these buildings disappear in favour of some of today's modern stuff. Surely it could,as you say Rob, be put to good use. My uncle was posted to Portland during the war and no doubt was in and out of this building as well as some of the pubs along the 'strip'. I know he did sentry duty at the top of the cliffs along by the YOI, but sadly, he is gone now and I can't ask him any questions about his time here.