Women of the cold war
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
What an appallingly ignorant confusion of the roles of the ROTOR system and ROC.
For information the display in the well was produced by the Kelvin Hughes PDU system. It was automatically developed and projected upwards with a 1 minute delay and the plotters then pushed their blocks around on top of the radar “blips”, negating the need for local tellers sitting at consoles. That may seem an excessive delay, but it was faster than manual telling which still took place from the remote radar heads at the R1 and R2 bunkers to the MRS in the R3 bunkers.
Ironically it was the plotting table which was still in place in the well at Buchan twenty years later and still used as a back-up to the GL161 computerised system.
Radar - Subterranea Britannica
Subterranea Britannica: Research Study Group: Sites: RAF Holmpton GCI Rotor Radar Station
And no discussion of women the RAF ground environment can ever neglect to mention Air Commodore “Aunt” Joan Hopkins.
For information the display in the well was produced by the Kelvin Hughes PDU system. It was automatically developed and projected upwards with a 1 minute delay and the plotters then pushed their blocks around on top of the radar “blips”, negating the need for local tellers sitting at consoles. That may seem an excessive delay, but it was faster than manual telling which still took place from the remote radar heads at the R1 and R2 bunkers to the MRS in the R3 bunkers.
Ironically it was the plotting table which was still in place in the well at Buchan twenty years later and still used as a back-up to the GL161 computerised system.
Radar - Subterranea Britannica
Subterranea Britannica: Research Study Group: Sites: RAF Holmpton GCI Rotor Radar Station
And no discussion of women the RAF ground environment can ever neglect to mention Air Commodore “Aunt” Joan Hopkins.
Last edited by ORAC; 23rd Apr 2018 at 11:21.
What an appallingly ignorant confusion of the roles of the ROTOR system and ROC.
For information the display in the well was produced by the Kelvin Hughes PDU system. It was automatically developed and projected upwards with a 1 minute delay and the plotters then pushed their blocks around on top of the radar “blips”, negating the need for local tellers sitting at consoles. That may seem an excessive delay, but it was faster than manual telling which still took place from the remote radar heads at the R1 and R2 bunkers to the MRS in the R40 bunkers.
Ironically it was the plotting table which was still in place in the well at Buchan twenty years later and still used as a back-up to the GL161 computerised system.
Radar - Subterranea Britannica
Subterranea Britannica: Research Study Group: Sites: RAF Holmpton GCI Rotor Radar Station
And no discussion of women the RAF ground environment can ever neglect to mention Air Commodore “Aunt” Joan Hopkins.
https://youtu.be/SI36_iEtOS8
For information the display in the well was produced by the Kelvin Hughes PDU system. It was automatically developed and projected upwards with a 1 minute delay and the plotters then pushed their blocks around on top of the radar “blips”, negating the need for local tellers sitting at consoles. That may seem an excessive delay, but it was faster than manual telling which still took place from the remote radar heads at the R1 and R2 bunkers to the MRS in the R40 bunkers.
Ironically it was the plotting table which was still in place in the well at Buchan twenty years later and still used as a back-up to the GL161 computerised system.
Radar - Subterranea Britannica
Subterranea Britannica: Research Study Group: Sites: RAF Holmpton GCI Rotor Radar Station
And no discussion of women the RAF ground environment can ever neglect to mention Air Commodore “Aunt” Joan Hopkins.
https://youtu.be/SI36_iEtOS8
They also served ...............
The thousands of women [I prefer ladies but............] who died a little death every time the hooter went. Was it a Minival? A Maxeval? TACEVAL? ACTIVE EDGE?
Or had the balloon gone up?
The wives in BFG were advised to have a suitcase packed against the day that the jolly green coaches headed for the Channel Ports.
The Ladies of the Cold War!
PS sorry that I am not knowledgeable enough on Bomber Command alert names.
The thousands of women [I prefer ladies but............] who died a little death every time the hooter went. Was it a Minival? A Maxeval? TACEVAL? ACTIVE EDGE?
Or had the balloon gone up?
The wives in BFG were advised to have a suitcase packed against the day that the jolly green coaches headed for the Channel Ports.
The Ladies of the Cold War!
PS sorry that I am not knowledgeable enough on Bomber Command alert names.
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They used to call one of the WAAF's I knew, the three minute warning...... but I do not know why 
Didn't they actually try that out at Gut on one exercise and the local German population panicked and started to follow them?
The wives in BFG were advised to have a suitcase packed against the day that the jolly green coaches headed for the Channel Ports.
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Thanks for the correction 
Gentleman Aviator
Let's not forget the "wives of"...... not all would be packed off westwards.
There were lists of those with useful skills - medical that I knew of - doctors, nurses and paramedics, who would NOT be going home......
Anf then there was the list of pets ...... who weren't going home for slightly different reasons!
There were lists of those with useful skills - medical that I knew of - doctors, nurses and paramedics, who would NOT be going home......
Anf then there was the list of pets ...... who weren't going home for slightly different reasons!
Yes, happened in the early 70s and caused a bit of a stir!! After that, practice evacuations did not involve the off-station MQs and the "evacuation" consisted of a few wagons doing a quick circuit of the countryside via Marienfeld, Niehorst and Blankenhagen. I was a lowly SAC at the time and the word was there were a few interviews without coffee down at The Big House after the dust had settled.
IIRC, prior notice of station exercises was published in the local press to prevent another panic.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I wonder what local populations thought with sirens going off. At Warrington in particular the village was cheek by jowl with the quarters and got the full sound effects. Generation and dispersal was deadly serious and conducted with complete news blackout, no friendly PRO calming the local populace.
I was at Gutersloh with my wife and 4 childers when the excitement as described above was on. I am unsure if it was separate from, or intrinsic to, an evaluation.
If the latter, then 19 squadron scrambling would have set nerves jangling: the locals were accustomed to a 2-ship, but big fly for survivals were unusual. Noisy Fun though.
If the latter, then 19 squadron scrambling would have set nerves jangling: the locals were accustomed to a 2-ship, but big fly for survivals were unusual. Noisy Fun though.
Avoid imitations
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The callout siren for Gutersloh's MQs at Harsewinkel was actually the town's Fire station siren. The locals were remarkably tolerant in view of the fact that the damned thing was often going off at all hours of the night.
The deployment kit was always either being packed, unpacked or actually in use. Some happy days, but it did all get a bit extreme at times and I'm very glad I'll never have to wear an AR5 respirator or charcoal suit again.
The deployment kit was always either being packed, unpacked or actually in use. Some happy days, but it did all get a bit extreme at times and I'm very glad I'll never have to wear an AR5 respirator or charcoal suit again.
Gentleman Aviator
I'll never have to wear an AR5 respirator or charcoal suit again.
...... do you ever visit Salisbury.........?
