Visit to RAF Chicksands

 Mike G1YVR organised a visit for the Society to RAF Chicksands (DISC) and the Military Intelligence Museum on the camp. 13 members of the Society set off from Leicester for Chicksands arriving in good time and undergoing the security procedures in high spirits.

The Usual Suspects

WWII Suitcase Radio

You should feel how much these weigh, the Spy's must have had very long arms after a very short time.

Some excellent examples of  Vintage "Spy Sets"

A typical RAF WWII Y Service set of equipments

National HRO & Hallicrafter (S-20R Sky Champion receiver) notice the h on the speaker, the band coil sets for the HRO are the rectangular boxes on top and to the side of the Hellicrafter.  

The "Huntley & Palmer"

 Biscuit Tin Radio

This radio was made for use in the occupied Countries of Europe so that their peoples could listen to broadcasts from their Governments in exile, they were also use for the passage of coded messages. The radio is the same type as the one in Grandma's bedroom in "Hello Hello".

An 'SOE' radio

Used by our Agents in Europe to maintain contact with their controllers back in the UK.

This is a Polish made set.  

Historical notes of relevance for  RAF Chicksands

When when the wireless interceptors at Fort Bridgewoods were moved, they initially came to RAF Chicksands and became called the Special 'Y' Group (SYG), their equipment was set up in the Priory. When in they moved again to Beaumanor in Leicestershire they had their name changed again to the 'War Office Y Group' and Beaumanor was their HQ hence WOYG HQ.

RAF Chicksands continued as a secret listening station for the RAF after the SYG had moved to Beaumanor. 

After the war the station was decommissioned and handed over to the American Air Force, RAF Chicksands then became an intercept site for the Americans during the 'Cold War' and slightly later became the proud owner of one of the largest integrated listening systems the world has ever seen (or not as the case may be!), the famous  Wullenweber AN/FLR-9(V7)/(V8) (my favorite 'home brew!' HF antenna)

The antenna group is a passive, circular, high frequency three-band antenna array. The antenna group Intercepts and processes signals In the 1.5 to 30-MHz range with reduced performance between 1.5 and 2.0 MHz. The three-band antenna array receives signals from any azimuth. The electronic equipment processes signals from individual elements so that omnidirectional or directional beam-formed signals are obtained. These signals are forwarded to the rf matrix group and df group. All beams including omnidirectional in all three arrays are simultaneously available at the inputs of the rf matrix group.

The antenna array is composed of three concentric rings of antenna elements. Each ring of elements receives rf signals for an assigned portion of the 1.5to 30-MHz radio spectrum. The outer ring normally covers the 2to 6-MHz range (band A), but also provides reduced coverage down to 1.5 MHz. The center ring covers the 6 to 18-MHz range (band B) and the inner ring covers the 18 to 30-MHz range (band C). Band A contains 48 sleeve monopole elements spaced 78.4 feet apart (7.5 degrees). Band B contains 96 sleeve monopole elements spaced 37.5 feet apart (3.75 degrees). Band C contains 48 antenna elements mounted on wooden structures placed in a circle around the central building. Bands A and B elements are vertically polarized. Band C elements consist of two horizontally polarized dipole antenna subelements electrically tied together, and positioned one above the other (stacked dipole arrays)

The support towers are spaced 35.2 feet (3.75 degrees) apart, and form a ring 3375.5 feet in circumference.

I will dedicate some pages to the 'Elephant Cage and place a link here for the anoraks amongst us soon.

Hammerlund SP-600

For those of us who are a little younger, the picture on the right is the Special Forces Man-pack Radio of the 21st Centaury.

Crypto Equipment

A good time was had by all, More info and pictures will follow soon