# Wireless stations in West of Scotland



## JMB (May 2, 2007)

I was looking at a WWII DF station on Tiree a week ago, this was probably Royal Navy because they had one there that closed in 1945.

Whilst trying to find information I found that there was a GPO wireless station on Tiree before WWII but don't know the location.

This led to finding that a number of GPO wireless stations were taken over during WWII and some were used as DF sites.

One mentioned was Gallon Head on Lewis. Hebrides Radio had a MF station at Gallan Head around 1980-ish with the receiving station at Forsnabhal along with VHF. We are presuming that Gallan Head was in the RAF Aird Uig site as there were a lot of masts there including one very high one.

I then found references in book searches to a Gallon Head wireless station in WWII at the Butt of Lewis but not able to see enough to get full details. This intrigued because there are the remains of a large wireless station at Butt of Lewis but no one has ever been able to tell me what it was. The snippets that I have found suggest it was pre-WWII.

I wonder if anyone knows any more about these?

There is something in the books "Wireless at Sea" and "The fiercest battle: the story of North Atlantic convoy ONS 5, 22nd April-7th May 1943" but I don't have either of them though might send off for a copy of the first.

MB


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Martin,

with reference to Hebrides Radio. This was as you say an MF and VHF station in the 80´s which was remote controlled from GND Stonehaven Radio. Also at that time there were remote VHF's on Lewis and Skye. 
With reference to the others I have no info.

Hawkey01


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

Thanks, Hebrides Radio seems to have taken over after the closing of Oban Radio.

I presume the transmitter was on the RAF Air Uig site and the receiver site was Forsnabhal. I have been up there and took some pictures but never thought to check for any traces of a MF station. By the way, the Google Streetview car that did that area was very adventurous and went right up the track to the top, getting some great images of the view from there.

It is the earlier transmitter on Lewis that is intruiguing, particularly this one in Wireless at Sea. I think I might have to get a copy of the book.



> Wireless at sea: the first fifty years. A history of the progress ...
> books.google.co.ukHarry Edgar Hancock, Marconi International Marine Communication Company, London - 1950 - 233 pages - Snippet view
> ... Gallon Head or Butt of Lewis, Cape Spartel, Port Said, Suez, Tor and Shad- wan, Gulf of Suez. An agreement had also been entered into with the Canadian Government providing for the equipment and maintenance of wireless telegraph ...


Also



> The fiercest battle: the story of North Atlantic convoy ONS 5, ...
> books.google.co.ukRonald Seth - 1961 - 208 pages - Snippet view
> ... and ingenuity in favourable conditions — almost impossible, and at six o'clock in the evening of the following day, 27th April, the Master decided that his ship was in such distress that he must ask for help. Gallon Head radio ...


These ruins are at the Butt of Lewis and seem to suggest there was a radio station there.

MB


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## BobDixon (Oct 17, 2008)

Hi Martin,

Hebrides Radio GHD was a replacement for the temporary station Lewis Radio which was housed in the Emergency Coast Station caravan for 2 years and located in a field at the Butt of Lewis. Hebrides was supposed to come on stream before Oban closed but there was in fact a gap of around 6 months.

As already indicated, GHD was a remotely controlled station with the equipment being maintained by MoD staff. The equipment was initially installed by BT Engineers - this included an emergency generator for which a new road had to be built over the peat to allow the low-loader access to the site.

In the 1920's the GPO provided a temporary radio station during the winter months - see story at http://www.qsl.net/gm3zdh/coast/emwt.htm - the fact that they did this suggests that there was no permanent communications station established by the GPO on Tiree. 

In the early 1900's Lloyds had a radio facility callsign BTL at the Butt of Lewis. There was also a Decca Station somewhere in the vicinity.


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

That's starting to make sense!

I thought they would have been using Aird Uid, was the MF receiving site down the road at Forsnabhal as said on the website?

I had a feeling the site at Butt of Lewis was early and that explains why no one knows anything about it.

Does not explain the quotes in the book about a radio station at Gallon Head Butt of Lewis, perhaps the RN built something on the site if it had all closed down.

The Decca Station was some miles away, I think someone lives in one the houses and some of the equipment is in the local museum.

GM3JIJ says there was a GPO MF station near to Stornoway on the site that became the VHF telephone link to the mainland.

Send me an EMail direct if you want to look at the pictures of the DF sites on Tiree and Sheigra.

By the way, did you know there was a Royal Navy wireless intercept / DF station at Oban during WWII? It was at Kilmore. I found it makred on a map in a booklet, did a lot of asking around and eventually got a Cassini grid for it. I put a letter in the Oban Times and heard from someone who remembered it and also it shows on the 1946 aerial photographs even though the masts had been removed.

MB


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Just dug out my copy of BT's Maritime Radio Services User Guide (1990) which shows the following VHF stations along the west coast of Scotland:
Portpatrick - VHF Ch 27
Clyde - VHF Ch 26 (remotely controlled from GPK)
Islay - VHF Chs 25 and 60 (remotely controlled from GPK)
Skye - VHF Ch 24 (remotely controlled from GND)
Hebrides - VHF Ch 26 and MF 1866 kHz (remotely controlled from GND)
Lewis - VHF Ch 05 (remotely controlled from GND)
Hebrides (GHD2) also operated a radiotelex MF service controlled from Portishead
Don't forget Oban Radio (GNE) which was one of the early closures during the rundown of the BT Coast Radio Stations.
Don't know a great deal of the early days but I have numerous reference books I can delve into - if I find anything of use I will post here accordingly.

Larry +


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

Thanks, it's the earlier period that is the mystery.

Got confirmation of the Lloyd's Signal Station on the Butt of Lewis now but not confirmation that it was also known as Gallon Head later or whether this refers to Gallan Head before the RAF station was built.

MB


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

You may find this site of interest:

http://earlyradiohistory.us/1908stat.htm#shoreworld

Has a list of operational wireless stations worldwide in 1908 in which Dunnet Head and Butt of Lewis are mentioned.

Larry +


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

Thanks, a useful list.

There was a WWII wireless station and lookout near there at Port Stoth (NB52326592 but I think the earlier one was added to the Lloyd's Signal Station.

Pictures of the site here.

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/313106/details/lewis+butt+of+lewis/

MB


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## charles henry (May 18, 2008)

JMB said:


> I was looking at a WWII DF station on Tiree a week ago, this was probably Royal Navy because they had one there that closed in 1945.
> 
> Whilst trying to find information I found that there was a GPO wireless station on Tiree before WWII but don't know the location.
> 
> ...


Suggest in your search you stop using the word "wireless" which has not been in general use for a looong time. Using the word "radio" in your searches may bring more results.
Chas (Pint)(Pint)


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

charles henry said:


> Suggest in your search you stop using the word "wireless" which has not been in general use for a looong time. Using the word "radio" in your searches may bring more results.
> Chas (Pint)(Pint)


But I am referring to an earlier period when "wireless" was the term used and most radio communications were "Wireless Telegraphy" with "Radio Telephony" still being a minor part of ship communications.

MB


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## Mimcoman (May 18, 2008)

JMB said:


> That's starting to make sense!
> 
> I thought they would have been using Aird Uid, was the MF receiving site down the road at Forsnabhal as said on the website?
> 
> ...


Hi there: Your info is right - after the mobile radio site at the Butt of Lewis. Hebrides radio came into being with transmitters at Aird Uig and the receive site at Forsnaval (as we probably wrongly spelt it). I saw a picture of what I thought was the tx aerial at Aird Uig, but it was pointed out to me that what I was looking at was the extremely tall MOD aerial - closer inspection shows the pin-sized 160-foot-or-so BT mast nearby. All remotely controlled from GND - including, initially, the radiotelex station, from a Puma teleprinter set up in a corner of GND's landline room and Thrane & Thrane sitor units. 
The transmitter control worked fine, but the receivers were initially single-channel Eddystone EC964s and their frequency could be fine-tuned from the Hebrides console in GND by means of a control which varied an audio tone sent by private BT wire to Forsnaval. This was very unreliable, so the Station Manager at the time (Ken Foster) arranged for a loan of a Racal 1792 and accompanying remote control unit from GKA. I remember it took some time (months) for the CRS engineers to install the racal. One the week we got it operational, GKA got in touch and wanted it back, but we kept it. It worked extremely well, and we occasionally used it for receiving traffic while using transmitters (WT and RT) at GND/GKR/GPK. 

Incidentally, HMCG has an mf radio site at the Butt of Lewis.

Bill


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

Any idea where the MF Receive was at Fornavel? Looking on Google Earth there are a couple of tracks going off the one to the current site but presume they did not have MF right at the top.

The earlier period (before and during WWII) is still a bit of a mystery, whether there was something at Aird Uig or another site (presumably Butt of Lewis) was also known as Gallan/Gallon Head.

MB


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## Mimcoman (May 18, 2008)

JMB said:


> Any idea where the MF Receive was at Fornavel? Looking on Google Earth there are a couple of tracks going off the one to the current site but presume they did not have MF right at the top.
> 
> The earlier period (before and during WWII) is still a bit of a mystery, whether there was something at Aird Uig or another site (presumably Butt of Lewis) was also known as Gallan/Gallon Head.
> 
> MB


I'm sorry - I never visited the BT site there. The BT engineers didn't like going there too often unless they were allocated a 4x4 vehicle. The MOD site was a VLF site and they were not encouraged to ask questions. I seem to remember that we spoke of the Aird Uig site at Gallan Head, on the west coast of Lewis more or less due west of Stornoway.


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

Ron Morris' book Defending St Kilda has some interesting details about the history of the Daily Mirror WT station established on St Kilda and the later RN WT station during WWI.

I noticed recently that the old Marconi WT station at Lochboisdale is now a B&B - Wireless Cottage.


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## David Fyfe (Nov 19, 2011)

*WW2 & Post-War Radio Stations*

Martin,
Directly across the Minch from Lewis, on the Sutherland coast were two radio stations which were tied into the wartime defence of the Loch Eribol Naval Moorings.
The main unit was an RAF one at Balnakeil, Durness, and an out-station at Blairmore - south of Cape Wrath. Balnakeil closed in he 1950's I believe, and is now a Craft Village. I used to live about 100m to the south of the Blairmore unit. Only the concrete aerial bases and a couple of hard standings remain. Whilst diving in the wee adjacent lochan, I frighteningly discovered some old gas masks on the murky bottom.

Regards, David


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

David Fyfe said:


> Martin,
> Directly across the Minch from Lewis, on the Sutherland coast were two radio stations which were tied into the wartime defence of the Loch Eribol Naval Moorings.
> The main unit was an RAF one at Balnakeil, Durness, and an out-station at Blairmore - south of Cape Wrath. Balnakeil closed in he 1950's I believe, and is now a Craft Village. I used to live about 100m to the south of the Blairmore unit. Only the concrete aerial bases and a couple of hard standings remain. Whilst diving in the wee adjacent lochan, I frighteningly discovered some old gas masks on the murky bottom.
> 
> Regards, David


Are you sure you are confusing with the WWII Chain Home radar station then postwar Rotor radio station?

The craft village is the domestic site for the Rotor radar station.

I am away from home so access to maps difficult at the moment.


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

If there is a Bungalow with a round window in the end wall that has the look of a Guardroom nearby it will have been former ROTOR Station, underground is a two storey complex, entry was gained from the Bungalow was through a turnstile after swopping passes.


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

chadburn said:


> If there is a Bungalow with a round window in the end wall that has the look of a Guardroom nearby it will have been former ROTOR Station, underground is a two storey complex, entry was gained from the Bungalow was through a turnstile after swopping passes.


Not all ROTOR stations had the famous bungalow and not all ROTOR were underground.

The underground ones with bungalow were mainly on the East coast which was considered higher risk.

Some pictures here of a few ROTOR including Faraid Head which is the one that this was domestic site for.

Some more information on the Sub Brit site.


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## David Fyfe (Nov 19, 2011)

*RAF Baknakeil*

Martin,
All the info I had was anecdotal, passed on from the old crofters who lived through those times. 
Right enough, Balnakeil Craft Village was the RAF Admin & Domestic site for the various radio & radar sites in the general Cape Wrath/Loch Eribol wartime/military area. The loch in fact was an important deep-water facility for RN & convoy vessels. Even going back to WW1. There are a number of derelict & overgrown remains of installations from Lochinver round to Tongue. The bodachs & calliachs who were my Blairmore neighbours back in the 70's & 80's just referred to the site as a radio station. Due to it's elevation & l/o/s, they thought it was tied into a similar site near the Butt of Lewis. I think the telephone line to Balchrick PO about 300m away might have been in existence in WW2, and would have provided an important land-line link.
Sadly, like all the older crofting folk, much evidence has gone. 

Regards, David


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

David Fyfe said:


> Martin,
> All the info I had was anecdotal, passed on from the old crofters who lived through those times.
> Right enough, Balnakeil Craft Village was the RAF Admin & Domestic site for the various radio & radar sites in the general Cape Wrath/Loch Eribol wartime/military area. The loch in fact was an important deep-water facility for RN & convoy vessels. Even going back to WW1. There are a number of derelict & overgrown remains of installations from Lochinver round to Tongue. The bodachs & calliachs who were my Blairmore neighbours back in the 70's & 80's just referred to the site as a radio station. Due to it's elevation & l/o/s, they thought it was tied into a similar site near the Butt of Lewis. I think the telephone line to Balchrick PO about 300m away might have been in existence in WW2, and would have provided an important land-line link.
> Sadly, like all the older crofting folk, much evidence has gone.
> ...



RAF Sango's telephone number was Durness 236 in 1945 but they would also have permanent circuits, probably to Raigmore.

WWI is all a bit vague, I think there might have been a prewar Signal Station at Cape Wrath that would be taken over by the RN, there was a RN Shore Signal Station there 1923-1928.

Loch Ewe was used by the RN in WWI of course (new book being prepared on the subject, looks good).


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## David Fyfe (Nov 19, 2011)

*RAF Sango*

Now that rings a bell. Sango covers two wee townships :- Sangomore & Sangobeg, named after the adjacent big beach & little beach. There are the remains of an installation nearby - close to Smoo Cave. A hardstanding & fuel depot, I recall. An old WD building has been converted into a Youth Hostel.
An aunt of John Lennon used to live on the Balnakeil side of Durness, and was the Agent for the local Estate. If you need more info, her successor might have old maps & plans. Also, when I was living up there, the manager of the Cape Wrath Hotel was also Agent for the C W Estate, owned then by the Elliot family. They also might have old wartime plans & do***entation.

Regards, David


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

David Fyfe said:


> Now that rings a bell. Sango covers two wee townships :- Sangomore & Sangobeg, named after the adjacent big beach & little beach. There are the remains of an installation nearby - close to Smoo Cave. A hardstanding & fuel depot, I recall. An old WD building has been converted into a Youth Hostel.
> An aunt of John Lennon used to live on the Balnakeil side of Durness, and was the Agent for the local Estate. If you need more info, her successor might have old maps & plans. Also, when I was living up there, the manager of the Cape Wrath Hotel was also Agent for the C W Estate, owned then by the Elliot family. They also might have old wartime plans & do***entation.
> 
> Regards, David


Sango was the official RAF name for the WWII site which is spread over quite a large area.

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/search/?keyword=sango&submit=search

As often happened, there were several installations there.

If anyone has any wartime plans then there are plenty of places that I am sure would love to take care of them - the archive in Wick or RAF Air Defence Museum. We found on Tiree that small local heritage centre has plans of the WWII and ROTOR radar station there, they were donated by a local builder when he either retired or cleared out his drawers.


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

I had an EMail about the RN WWI radio station (Y and / or DF) at Murcar - Bridge of Don Wireless Telegraph Station.

The do***ent also mentions one at Kilmuir on Skye, never heard of anything on SKye before so been asking around but nothing turned up so far. 

Unlikely anyone will know of it but would be interesting if anyone has any connections to the area and remembers stories of something secret in the area in WWI.

MB


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

A list of wireless stations in 1905 lists one as "Isle of Skye" also that it was a de Forest station. It just says Power Station and building with no more information. Other stations, like Butt of Lewis, as shown as "Proposed" which suggests this one might be operational. I do not know if it is the same as the Kilmuir one.


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Just been ploughing through this thread looking for information on the stations at Lochboisdale/GCB and Tobermory/GCA. I have managed to research a fair bit of history on the stations but have found no formal date of closure of the stations. They do appear in radio listings from 1936, both operating on 1523 kc/s, but then no further information can be found. Does anyone know when both stations closed? I would have assumed both would have ceased activities at the same time, but without confirmation I cannot take that as being the case.

Larry+


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## A McLeod (Sep 27, 2008)

JMB said:


> I was looking at a WWII DF station on Tiree a week ago, this was probably Royal Navy because they had one there that closed in 1945.
> 
> Whilst trying to find information I found that there was a GPO wireless station on Tiree before WWII but don't know the location.
> 
> ...


Was the station on Tiree you saw located at the top of Ben Hough ?


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

A McLeod said:


> Was the station on Tiree you saw located at the top of Ben Hough ?


The site on Beinn Hough was a puzzle for a long time! I was told by someone from the airport that it was to communicate with aircraft flying into Tiree. Someone had to walk up if there was an air ambulance flight! It does not seem to be connected to the CHL just below it and there is another CAA site on the adjacent hill.

The main WT site was at the end of the road down to the ferry. There was a WWII DF site at Heanish (I found the hexagon base) but I think there might have been another though they might have been referring to MF DF at the WT site.

Tiree is covered in radar and WT sites!

Doffcocker's collections on Flickr


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## A McLeod (Sep 27, 2008)

JMB said:


> The site on Beinn Hough was a puzzle for a long time! I was told by someone from the airport that it was to communicate with aircraft flying into Tiree. Someone had to walk up if there was an air ambulance flight! It does not seem to be connected to the CHL just below it and there is another CAA site on the adjacent hill.
> 
> The main WT site was at the end of the road down to the ferry. There was a WWII DF site at Heanish (I found the hexagon base) but I think there might have been another though they might have been referring to MF DF at the WT site.
> 
> ...


The station on Beinn Hough was an aeronautical radio and D/F station, callsign "Tiree Homer". There were other stations on Islay, Benbecula and Lewis. The Communications Officer (there was only one ) indeed had to walk up the hill every day. If there was an air ambulance flight to any of the Hebridean Islands he would have to open up the station at any time of the day or night. That Officer was my father.


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

A McLeod said:


> The station on Beinn Hough was an aeronautical radio and D/F station, callsign "Tiree Homer". There were other stations on Islay, Benbecula and Lewis. The Communications Officer (there was only one ) indeed had to walk up the hill every day. If there was an air ambulance flight to any of the Hebridean Islands he would have to open up the station at any time of the day or night. That Officer was my father.



That is roughly what I remember being told.

I was contacted by someone who had found that the ROTOR centimetric radar site on Beinn Ghott was never operational and a Type 7 radar was used. 

Doffcocker's collections on Flickr 
Collection: Tiree (flickr.com) 

The Type 7 was an underground room with the rotating antenna above it. I contacted the airfield and one of the staff took me across - it was thick mist so very quiet that day! I looked inside but it was flooded.

There was a puzzle over Balephetrish Hill, someone told me they had found that it was to be the receive site for ROTOR (i.e. air-to-ground comms) but was not used. I also found that a site was planned for use by the air-to-air missile range over The Minch either radar safety cover or radio safety cover. But the range was not built and the range in Wales expanded - there were initially protest about it then protests again when it was abandoned! The army then bought Corporal or Sergeant (??) missiles which were larger and fired out into the Atlantic to the range on Uist was built.

Someone living near Balephetrish Hill said when it was abandoned the site and building was given to the builder in lieu of payment.

Tiree has unusually virtually a complete set of WWII radar - Advance Chain Home, Chain Home, Chain Home Low, Chain Home Beam and GEE. I think the RAF WT at the end of the road to ferry incorporated MF DF, there was one of the wooden tower ones at Heanish. There is mention of closing RAF DF sites and Tiree being allowed to keep two because of the long range their aircraft operated from base. Not sure if it refers to these two or whether there was another. 

The RN DF site was known as Ruaig and was one of a group of four built early in WWII to provide DF coverage for ships, they could transmit a bearing to the vessel.


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## David Fyfe (Nov 19, 2011)

Martin & Guys,
I'm glad that this thread is still alive after what - 10 years ? Ruaig eh - "red" in Gailic if my memory serves me right.
Just wondering - is there anyone out there with excellent computer graphics skills who could transpose all this excellent info on to a West Coast Map or Aeronautical Chart or Maritime Chart ?
Sadly, its 20 years since my last visit to the NW - for my F in L's burial in the new Kinlochbervie Cemetry at Shiegra. Thus breaking the link. However, my eldest son(having trained at the FW Diving Centre a few years back) is now a commercial diver(following in my footsteps) based in Tobermory. So there is still a West Coast maritime link.
I recall from my RAF Coastal Command days(S&R Helicopters, and Shackletons),there were some excellent aeronautical charts containing many sites of beacons, airfields & other installations in the Squadron's control rooms. No doubt, back in the 60's & 70's thety were Classified. However, maybe now 50 - 60 years later, they might be de-classified & available for research purposes - such as this thread. I'm also a member of VMARS - I'm wondering if any folk on their Forum might have relavent info ?

Regards, David


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

There are quite a few maps around showing coast and other wireless stations at various periods. Surprisingly the book on Coast Radio does not have many maps and they are small ones. There are lists around of WWII DF and Y Service sites but information on all the military (all services) wireless, DF etc site is patchy. I have "found" quite a number by investigating a name on a list and finding traces on aerial photographs or Google Earth / BING. I confirmed Sheigra and Ruaig and others from the recognisable footprint of a DF site. Unfortunately Gallan Head is not recognisable after all the disturbance from the later ROTOR and MOD radio station in the area.

It is quite easy to import data with positions onto Google Earth. You just upgrade to the Professional version, I did it some years ago for a year or so, so I could display some differing types of sites.

Not been to any airshows for many years but you used to see old aeronautical charts on sale at quite low prices. Might be worth a few searches online, there must be large number thrown away as they replaced by newer versions. Also quite number of the older ones online.

I doubt whether much of the information will be secret but now many could be copyright.

I did send off for a file about Kilmuir but not received it.


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## David Fyfe (Nov 19, 2011)

JMB said:


> There are quite a few maps around showing coast and other wireless stations at various periods. Surprisingly the book on Coast Radio does not have many maps and they are small ones. There are lists around of WWII DF and Y Service sites but information on all the military (all services) wireless, DF etc site is patchy. I have "found" quite a number by investigating a name on a list and finding traces on aerial photographs or Google Earth / BING. I confirmed Sheigra and Ruaig and others from the recognisable footprint of a DF site. Unfortunately Gallan Head is not recognisable after all the disturbance from the later ROTOR and MOD radio station in the area.
> 
> It is quite easy to import data with positions onto Google Earth. You just upgrade to the Professional version, I did it some years ago for a year or so, so I could display some differing types of sites.
> 
> ...


Martin, have you had any contact with the "Airfield Research Group" ? Someone suggested I contact their Forum. However, they require a £10 pa membership fee.

Regards, David


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## JMB (May 2, 2007)

Yes I am a member.

You can access some parts of the forum as a non-member.


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