RAF 'Y' Stations etc. Discussion Thread

I call at Monks Risborough every friday so will make a few enquires this week, failing that it's only about 15 minutes away and there's a handy little Tesco's on the Monks Risborough side of Princes Risborough, a sunday morning job. I also call at Luton/Dunstable on thursdays but it's a Very busy place just getting to my customers, but I'll ask some of the older ones if they recall any WWII Radio/Radar sites etc.

I was at Portrush recently and could find no evidence remaining of the station which was there. Sad!

airfields wrote:

I call at Monks Risborough every friday so will make a few enquires this week, failing that it's only about 15 minutes away and there's a handy little Tesco's on the Monks Risborough side of Princes Risborough, a sunday morning job. I also call at Luton/Dunstable on thursdays but it's a Very busy place just getting to my customers, but I'll ask some of the older ones if they recall any WWII Radio/Radar sites etc.

There are at least 2 stories re the Dunstable met wireless station on the BBC WW2 people at war site. I used to cycle for too many miles when i was a kid and often cycled past the aerial farm. I will look on Google earth and try and locate it. My Dad knew it was a met station as did my uncle who used to work out of a depot in Acton he was a RAF SGT wireless mech during WW2.

TED

According to personal stories on the BBC and local history sites; the entrance was on Worthington Rd, I picked up Worthington Rd on GE but of course its changed beyond all recognition even the fire station I remember closed in 2007 and has been demolished. Having found the road go back to 1945 and I think you will have no problem seeing the area of the aerials and slightly south of the end of worthington Rd ( as it was then) is a collection of buildings which may well be the Air Ministry hutted camp, which is mentioned in various stories. Having found all that move the slide back to current days and I think the conclusion will be not a trace is left ??

TED.

Thanks, Ted. I'm surprised it was so close to 'habitation'. I would have thought that these stations would be located well away from regular electrical interference, including the motor car. However I guess in those days there weren't too many Black & Deckers or cars around.

Graham

hi Graham even when I used to cycle passed, what i remember of the aerials it was right on the edge of habitation that would be circa 1960-3, As the crow flies the aerials at edlesborough were not far then of course there was Stanbridge. My old grey cells are telling me there were several aerial farms in that neck of the woods.
Some of the on line stories mention seco huts my brain is saying just a handful of wooden huts but these may have been near the aerials as opposed to the little hutted village ??

TED

Just watched again the 'Coast' programme featuring Sheringham 'Y' station. It stated that on this stretch of coastline there were another eight stations:
Cromer, North and South Walsham, Gorleston, Bradwell, Southwold, Saxmundham, Felixstowe.

It added that Bletchley Park maintains a list of the 'Y' stations which they know is incomplete. After WWII, owing to the secrecy they were all quickly dismantled.

Graham

"Y" stations were an abbrevation for WW2 "Wireless Intercept" stations and included direction finding stations. Lists of stations and their locations are available to the public in the National Archive file HW 41/401. I have posted some of thie contents here:-
docs.google.com/#folders/folder.0.0Bygmc...NGMtZmEwZTg2MmRmOTEw

I have also provided a general description of the stations and their work at www.freewebs.com/ystations/

Another useful site to learn more about WW2 wireless interception is www.secretlisteners.org .

Stan

Id wondered why(sorry!) they were called Y stations, now I know.

Hi Richard

The Y station at Shaftesbury is at the top of wincombe lane near the Ten Acres estate, it was being operated by the Americans in the early 1970's, it was worked in connection with the sites at Bulbarrow and Ringstead Bay, I used to drink with the guys, who were well known around the Shaftesbury area. ranger