Fwd: Re: [BPARK] Naval "Y" station at Southwold?

FYI....from Stuart Rayner :


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [BPARK] Naval "Y" station at Southwold?
Date: 	Mon, 02 Oct 2017 19:18:26 +0100


Thought it might be time to give you an update on the possible timeline
of Southwold Y Station, particularly with the help of Ralph Erskine,
also copied.

The station was established either very late in 1940, or more likely
early in 1941. The first Y Station at Dover was only established in
September 1940 where the South coast Y Stations closest to the enemy on
the continent were set up as Wrens became available from their training.
A Wren Elizabeth Agar took over on relief command temporarily at
Southwold in 1941. At this time the intercept station was at Stone House
on Gun Hill.

In conversation with a Wren who served at Winterton, just North of Great
Yarmouth also in a cliff top house, ariels were everywhere on the roof
and she said any German landing would immediately know the house was
something special. I expect this was the same at Southwold. A Wren Sybil
Welch who was stationed at Southwold identifies the problem of brushing
off the inquisitive Naval or Army officer trying to find out what went
on at the house with VHF ariels sticking out of it. With the foundations
on the lawn, it is probable that there was a steel lattice tower in
front of Stone House. A similar one can be seen in a photograph of Lyme
Regis Golf Club, which was also a Y Station. These stations could also
completee D/F by having a VHF ariel on the roof that could be turned by
a wheel attached to a pole in the watch room. The present owner of Stone
House will be looking to see if anything such as this remains in the
loft, at present it is not known if such a fitting was used at Southwold!

An interesting point from your perspective is that in 1942 or early
1943, Southwold was also made a ‘noises’ station, together with Ventnor
(IOW) and Abbotscliff (Dover). ‘noise’ stations were set up to
investigate enemy radio transmissions that were not communications.
Equipment at ‘noise’ stations covered the complete range of frequencies
from M/F to UH/F and to D/F. One aspect of the investigations was into
enemy radar transmissions. Identification was for the most part
completed visually rather than aurally, using cathode ray tubes. This
would have been instigated at Stone House initially.

In June 1943 approval was given for the building of combined Y and
‘noise’ stations at Southwold, Abbotscliff, Vintner and Coverack to
cover the French, Belgian and Dutch coasts. This would have been for
the ‘new’ build at Easton Bavents. This also ties in with the Wren
Margaret Smee who says "Once again a  new watchroom and tower were
built, this time about two miles away from Stone House. Our numbers were
augmented and I was promoted to Second Officer.” Margaret was promoted
to 2^nd Officer 1^st May 1944, so it is probable Easton Bavents was
operational late 1943 or early 1944. It is also noticeable that the two
huts in the Eason Bavents interior photographs are termed Y and N huts.

I have written to the web site that has the recordings of the Southwold
Y Station intercepts, identifying the ‘noise’ aspect of the Southwold
intercepts, but have had no response as yet. I do not know if any of you
have made contact with them?

Margaret Smee was in charge of the Station until just after VE day when
it was closed down. It is noticeable that the towers did not last long
as they are not to be seen in the 1945 ariel photograph.

Anyway, hope this fills out some of the history for Southwold Y Station
and if any of you have further information then please let me know. I
hope to visit the huts later this month with the farmer who owns them
and will update anything we find. I think I have worked out that the Y
Hut is the southern one from the interior photographs.

Best wishes - Stuart


> On 18 Aug 2017, at 10:42, Stuart Rayner wrote :
>------------------------------------------------
> All,
>
> I have been in contact with a previous owner of Stone House. He was
> not aware of its secret past and says the house was renovated in the
> late 40’s by his father. He could not remember very much, except there
> were four large concrete foundations in the Northern part of the front
> garden. They tried to pull these out with a dragline, he thinks with
> equipment from building of the promenade but they failed to do so. The
> foundations were left inplace and filled over, which is why that part
> of the front garden is slightly higher. If you look at the latest
> Google maps, these foundations can be seen in the corner. From the
> close spacing of the foundations, I suspect these were for a free
> standing lattice mast, similar to the ones in the photographs next to
> the huts at Easton Bavents.
>
> Although not directly relevant to Southwold, but giving some
> background to Y Stations, I came across two oral histories of serving
> in Y stations in the Imperial War Museum archives. You may have
> already come across them? Although RAF and Army stations they give an
> indication of what went on at Southwold. There are others but they are
> not unfortunately available on line.
>
> The first is an RAF interceptor who gives examples of German morse
> transmissions and how the Germans tried to trick the Interceptors:
>
> http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80024562
>
> The second is from an ATS. I like the bit about dreaming in morse!
>
> http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80012971
>
> Regards - Stuart