Crowland DF Station Mast is Demolished

Crowland radar tower.

Hi, I meant to post this months ago – so the thread is old, but anyway.
In the summer of 1969, I had a girlfriend in Spalding. One Saturday a.m., whilst hitch-hiking, I was dropped off on that corner. I was there for maybe half an hour, during which time an American airman in uniform, came out of that old single-storey brick building that was at the base of the tower to have a look at me. There was barbed wire around the fencing top. He actually gave me a light for a cigarette, and went back inside. The only other thing I remember, was a large blue board, with United States Air Force in an arc over the Great Seal of the U.S, and a numbered unit in the thousands. I wish I could remember more. As an ardent aviation enthusiast for 40 years, I have, so far, been able to find nothing – but would imagine a possible association with Chicksands or maybe Croughton.
There you are, take it or leave it. The board was similar to those which appeared outside all U.S. facilities up until the 1980’s ?
Thanks.
Jes.

Has anyone actually produced a list of surviving DF stations, in particular, those that have’nt been converted into mobile phone masts.
There used to be a perfect example of one at Stradishall, Suffolk, off the beaten track too, but that was demolished a few years ago and replaced with a modern mast.
If you travel on the road from Stradishall to Bury St Edmunds, there was another one at Chedburgh, though the last time I saw it, it was looking a bit tatty and I wouldn’t be surprised if it had gone by now.
Does anyone know of any other examples, have any been preserved, or attempts made to do so, aren’t there some surviving around Coltishall.
I remember when these things were a common sight around the countryside, particularly in my old stamping grounds around the airfields of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
I think that I’ll have to have a wander up to Chedburgh and see if it’s still there.

This thread has got me confused! The title of the thread and the newspaper report refer to the mast on Postland Road, Crowland, locally known as “Radar Corner”. This is the mast which has been demolished – but it is not the mast which is pictured in the first post on this thread. Anyone confirm where this location is?

Turning to the use of the Crowland mast, it was a telecommunications relay mast and not radar. It was built in the mid 50s I believe and was part of a microwave relay chain for the USAF. Other locations in Lincs with a similar role were at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Elsham Wolds and Spitalgate. The Spitalgate mast was still there last year but the Kirton-in-Lindsey mast was demolished appprox five years ago. Not sure about the Elsham mast.

After the USAF stopped using them their aerials were removed and 10-15 years ago the Crowland mast formed a small part of the Uniter/Boxer network. Presumably because of the retrenchment of the RAF the mast was no longer needed. As is happening on airfields, where there is something not being used and it is a risk to ‘elf & safety’ it is getting demolished.

That mast has been a landmark on my journeys from Lincolnshire to the south. Bye bye mast.

Hi Resmoroh,

Thanks for the transmission info.

The link is now working again, but it don’t give any more info.

Strange how no one seem to know why it was knocked down. Even the local paper. I would assume that these things are discussed on some local level, even if its a MOD tower, but it seems somebody just knocked it down.

Mondariz, Hi,
Having been involved in UK defence (and other) transmissions for some time, I, too, would like to know the history of this (now defunct) mast. I suspect it is post-WW2.
These communications masts sprouted up all over UK. They had all sorts of things hung on them. They were relay stations for civilian telephone/telegraph channels. They had VHF repeaters for the local fire/police/ambulance services, and some even had transmit facilities for local radio/TV services in areaa where reception of the main transmiiter was not very good. They also carried line-of-site Tx/Rx channels for the Govt and/or military, and/or Civil Defence.
During WW2 there was some considerable activity, in UK, by the then GPO (General Post Office) in providing deep-laid cables. This was obviously very expensive – but in war-time expense does not really count!!! Some of these deep laid cables were pressurised with compressed nitrogen such that if (by either enemy action – or any intruder) the pressure dropped then the ‘plugs’ at either end would pop out and the signals on any channel would not be readable.
One can only assume (post-WW2) that the cost of providing masts was, then, less than the cost of deep-laid cables (much more secure!!!). Nowadays – with the increased comms speeds, and variable redundancy channels, the need for such comms masts may be decreasing (thus the demise of the Crowland mast), but it would be interesting to know what facilities/channels it supported (quite a lot, from the pix!!!) and how, now, they are routed! But we may be straying into areas which are not the prerogative of this Forum – but of other Fora.
Having used such comms masts for various miitary, and civilian, use, I would be keen to know what this one did (when in operation), and what has replaced it.
Sorry to have “gone on” a bit, but this is a fascinating piece of WW2, and post-WW2, history. It may not have been directly connected with airframes (which many on this Forum are primarily occupied) – but it does give some insight as to how/when/where those airframes were controlled.
Rgds
Resmoroh

The link is now dead….

I was wondering what history the mast has?

If I lived close to a monstrosity like that, i would be happy to see it gone, BUT on the other hand, if it has some history maybe it would be worth keeping.

The buildings i love!

There is just something about abandoned buildings, that really gets my interest. Around here (Denmark) we have quite a few German bunkers, shelters and other buildings. I love the feeling of “once!” around them.
Maybe thats why I’m in two minds about people turning them into small museums. Sure its really great someone takes care of them and restore them, so others can see how they looked, but to me, the abandoned feeling speaks volumes more.

Also there are way too many historic (wartime) relics and just a few groups trying to keep them. We can’t save them all, but we can make sure the saved ones remain saved.

It would actually be a question, that I would like to discuss here:

Is it worth trying to save every wartime relic being torn down, or should the effort be saved for those really special places?

Changed Warboys to Crowland mast.
Peter

Hanglands, Hi,
Yup, know the problem! Been there, done it, got the book, seen the film, got the T-shirt!!!!! Same thista when Wales won the Grand Slam!! Get some ZZZ’s in, man!!
Rgds (quietly!)
Resmoroh

Youre quite right Resmoroh, its my fault for posting with a hangover! (wifes birthday yesterday, celebrated a bit too much).

I assumed, wrongly, that it was Warboys, but as you say, it is in fact the Crowland mast.

Apologies. But at least Warboys is safe and intact.

Phew, off to sleep it off.

Regards,

S.

Hanglands, Hi,
Slightly confused. The comms mast on Postland Road, Crowland, is a long way from Warboys!! Which one is it? I was born, and brought up, in Peterborough – and lived in Crowland for a short spell. Warboys was, as far as I know, built/opened in 1941 and was used by the Pathfinders of Bomber Command. It closed in the early 1960’s, and has reverted to agriculture – although you can still pick the main features of the airfield out on satpix.
Rgds
Resmoroh