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#Post#: 1131--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: mick standen
Date: September 11, 2012, 1:13 am
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I am glad I have kept a copy of this Exercise Memory, from
airdefop.1, as it is a bit of a read.
I was stationed at Saxa Vord from Nov 78 till Mar 80. And while
I was there the new ops room came into existence. This, I
believe, was around about October 1979. The Station C.O. thought
it would be a good idea to test the Top Site defences including
trying to defend the new ops room. An exercise was duly planned
and on a Friday at about 5pm the sirens sounded and with combats
and a good book we said goodbye to our loved ones at Setters
Hill Estate, saying that we will probably be home in a couple of
hours, and jumped on the bus to top site. If I remember rightly
the top site staff were strengthened by domestic site personnel,
so after an hour or two we had loads of personnel milling about
asking all sorts of questions. Rumours started to fly, but the
main one, which turned out to be true, was that a SAS unit and
the TA from Lerwick or Aberdeen, who had been on exercise in
Norway were going to parachute into Burrafirth and climb up the
cliffs and attack top site. Aim to take out both ops room and
the radars. We got split into 2 watches. Duty watch of 4 hours
followed by 4 hours R&R. Around the perimeter we had about 10
O.P.s to man. Even though it was early autumn it was freezing
and an hour exposed to the elements was more than enough. R&R
was good fun, with all those bods about we had 3 or 4 crew room
bridge tables going! Night turned into day, day turned into
night, no attack, yet. Then intel came in that a low flying
plane was heard by the locals, it was pitch black so there
wasn’t any parachute sightings, if you could believe they
would actually do that. But the news about the plane being
heard, which was around about 6 or 7pm, meant that we would all
have to be on standby or on guard. More hours past and it was
gone midnight when we were all put out on the front line. I was
put outside the perimeter fence, on my own, with no SLR, there
wasn’t enough to go round, on the west side, which overlooks
Burrafirth! So there I was lying in the damp peat, no weapon
waiting for these highly trained, highly motivated killers to
come and kill me. I didn’t have to wait long. It was dark, I
could hear something moving in front of me but couldn’t see a
thing in the blackness. Then a shape appeared in front of me. I
said “Bang, Bang, your dead” He said, “no I’m not, saw
you 10 seconds ago, got you in the head, mate” After that all
hell broke loose behind me. So I turned round, and sat and
watched a Commando style attack of the site. Once the flares
started and the thunder blasts were let off, I was privy, from a
distance, and dead don’t forget, to an awesome display by our
attackers. The whole place was well lit up by now, I could see a
couple of them bolt cropping their way through the perimeter
fencing, something that really made the C.O. rather annoyed when
he found out. I saw a couple of these professionals sprint up
the 45 degree incline from the ops level to the domes in a
couple of seconds firing their weapons as they attacked. The
action lasted for about 20 minutes from killing me to the end ex
siren, which was about 3am, Sunday morning by now. Returning to
the ops room I had to go past the MOD policeman, who was still
being treated for shock. Evidently he refused entry so they shot
a blank at him or in his very near vicinity and gained entry
that way. The new ops room was protected by a new bomb blast
door. Evidentally the inside team had trouble closing it after
they heard of the attackers gaining entry as above. I believe
techie Cpl Tony Cooper and FS Ops, Joe Packeer were trying to
close it but were too late. Joe did a runner but Tony tried to
take a couple of attackers on using unarmed combat! Says he got
one punch in before he was bowled over. Anyway we lost the war.
Back down at domestic site, Penguin club opened up and free beer
was on for all players involved. This was now about 5am. I
finally arrived home at about 7am Sunday morning and ended up
sleeping for next 24 hours. Best exercise ever.
#Post#: 1132--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: mick standen
Date: September 11, 2012, 1:27 am
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And here is a personal story which I shared with you on the
original airdefop.
#Post#: 5972--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: guest83
Date: November 30, 2012, 9:54 am
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Something of interest I picked up concerning Unst
Two Norse giants lived on the Isle of Unst, which is the most
northerly of the Shetland Islands. One giant was called Herman
and his rival was Saxi (Saxa). Both giants fell in love with a
mermaid who they would see swimming around the coast. One day
the mermaid told the two giants that she would stay with
whichever of the two could follow her to the North Pole, after
which set off swimming North. Both Herman and Saxie waded into
the ocean to follow there love and were never seen again.
Saxa Vord is the most northerly hill on Unst and therefore the
most northerly hill on an occupied island of the United Kingdom
and it named after the giant Saxi. Giants played a role in Norse
mythology and many of their stories came with them when they
settled here. Hermaness the National Nature Reserve on Unst is
named after the giant Herman.
#Post#: 7416--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: Peter A Barnes
Date: January 5, 2013, 9:24 am
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At last I have got round to reposting my reminiscences of RAF
Saxa Vord:
After Trade Training at Compton Bassett, I was post to RAF
Neatihead, but in the space of a couple of months or so, I
found myself among the first contingent of ops personnel to be
posted to Saxa Vord, when it was commissioned in 1957. We sailed
from Aberdeen and many of those, who had previously commented
about it being calm, were hanging over the rails being sick
shortly afterwards, as we passed Peterhead! I and another airman
were the only ones to go to supper that evening and it was a bit
disconcerting having to chase your plate, as it slid across the
table. I managed to wedge myself in my bunk that night and got a
good night’s sleep, but K. Barry Ayto, who became one of our
watch corporals, spent all night huddled up on the deck. The
following morning, we disembarked at Lerwick and took an
inter-island ferry, which took most of the day to reach
Baltasound.
It must have been late October when we arrived, but the days
were still very long, with it never getting really dark, but it
was not long before winter set in and daylight was limited to a
couple of hours either side of midday. Our C.O. was Squadron
Leader Millar and our watch officer was Flying Officer Green,
our sergeant a Greek Cypriot, Corporals Ayto & Whyte and the
only airmen I can recall were Ron Price, Geoff Lawrence and
Jimmy Carlisle The unit was equipped with a Type 80 radar and
there was a rumour that the first aerial installed was blown
into the sea, but I believe it may have been dislodged from its
bearings: sometimes when there were strong gusts of wind, you
could see the trace judder on the console screen. Gusts of over
173 mph were recorded at Muckle Flugga lighthouse on 1st January
1992 (before the equipment broke). In 1967 a wind of 177 mph was
recorded at the radar dome on top of Saxa Vord – again just
before the equipment was blown away.
The Cold War was yet to hot up and we spent most of our time
intercepting U.S. bombers flying down from the North Pole and
either straying off course or failing to file a flight plan..
F.O. Green would scramble two Hunters from R.A.F Leuchars (it
may have been Dyce) to intercept - I understand that nowadays a
junior officer would not have the authority and have to refer up
the chain of command.
After a particularly heavy snowfall, the road up to the radar
site became impassable vehicles and it was decided that each
watch would spend 48 hours on the site. We were issued with
wellington boots (in my case two different sizes) and duffle
coats and we went part way in a lorry and then walked up to the
site. F.O. Green stated that we would take it in turns to cook,
including himself (beans on toast, it transpired) and the RAF
policeman, who said that he could not leave the guardroom, but
he was told that an airman would relieve him, so that he could
undertake his cooking duties! If I remember correctly, we slept
as well as we could on rubber insulating mats on the floor of
the equipment room. I think that we only had one 48 hour shift,
so the extreme conditions lasted for less than a week.
#Post#: 7440--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: Peter A Barnes
Date: January 6, 2013, 4:57 am
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Continued:
On Christmas Day I wanted to telephone my mother and, as it was
before the days of mobile phones, I had to use the red Post
Office telephone box outside the camp, being the only telephone
available for airmen. I duly picked up the handset and asked the
operator to connect me and put my money in the box, pressed
button A and the line went dead and, pressing button B failed to
retrieve my money. I had no option but to tramp through the snow
all the way the telephone exchange located in a croft at
Haroldswick. When I arrived I tapped on the window and the lady
said that she was expecting me and to go it the adjacent
telephone box and she connected me without further charge, so I
probably had a longer call than I originally paid for.
I was posted out to Cyprus after just a few months and my
departure from the Shetlands was not without its moments. When I
arrived at Baltasound, I found the ferry anchored in the bay as
it was too rough to berth. I was taken out to it in a motor-boat
and as it rose and fell alongside, I handed over my kitbag etc.
Then the next time the motor boat rose level to the deck I was
told to jump and I was caught by two seamen - good job they got
their timing right, otherwise, I would not be here now! We could
not sail for about 24 hours and I was provided with a cabin and
meals for free. When, we eventually arrived in Lerwick, I
managed to cadge a flight in an Anson from Sumburgh Head – I
cannot remember how I arranged it or the reason for it being
there, but one of the passengers was a squadron leader, so
presumably he had been on official visit: he may well have been
the only other passenger and I felt that he was a slightly
nervous flyer. It was my first flight in an aircraft :we bounced
down the runway a few times before getting airborne and instead
of making a gradual approach into our destination an RAF
airfield near Newcastle the pilot spiralled in, so I was looking
down the wing at the sharp peaks of the Cheviots below. I caught
a bus into Newcastle and then a train to Kings Cross-hauled by
an A4 pacific (if I remember correctly “Union of South
Africa”)
Apart from the sometimes extreme weather, I did not consider
Saxa Vord to be a hard posting. The accommodation, food and
facilities were the height of luxury compared to those at Cape
Greco in Cyprus and, as far as I am aware, the local population
didn’t want to kill you! My only bad experience was being
subject to an insidious form of bullying from one of our watch
corporals (not Cpl Ayto), who took every opportunity to belittle
me. Unfortunately the two corporals shared our barrack room, so
there was no respite and I was aware that he would not hesitate
to pull rank. Apart from the general bullying, which everybody
was subject to, at square bashing, which had a purpose, it was
the only time in my 3 years that I was not treated with respect
from the most senior officer downwards.
I remembered that we had a Pilot Officer Cowan on our watch, who
I assume was getting on the job experience, under the eye of a
more experienced officer-apart from the odd intruding U.S
bomber, which I have mentioned, he would not have had much
opportunity. I must have been one of the few airmen to have been
paid ,whilst nude: P.O.Cowan came to the billet to hand out our
pay and he was told that I was in the shower, so he came out to
me and I had to stand dripping wet and sign for my pay! We were
paid in Scottish bank notes and in those days there were more
banks, so we used to swap notes like cigarette cards- “I swap
your British Linen for my Clydesdale”! The local population,
who did not consider themselves Scottish, but Scandinavian, were
still living in crofts. I understand that they did not have
electricity until the RAF supplied them from the large generator
which served the camp and radar site. We used to say that our
nearest railway station was in Bergen!
The Royal Navy had a building underneath the radar block, but we
did not know what they were doing - I guess underwater
detection. Sometimes they would give one or two of us a lift in
their Humber Pig up to the radar site. They must have lived on
the domestic site, but I don’t recall ever seeing a sailor in
the NAAFI.
There were about four RAF policemen on the unit and, as they
seemed to work a different rota to us (probably alternating
between domestic and radar sites), we got to know each one.
Normally, only one of us at a time had a break, so I often used
to wander down the corridor to the guard room for a chat. I
remember Alan Beddow, who used type away at an ancient
typewriter, hoping one day to be a novelist. Another one had
been a Met Police cadet (I think he might have been another Ron
Price) and a couple of years later I was driving through Ilford
and spotted him on his beat (remember those days!) and I stopped
for a chat, hoping he would not book me for stopping on a yellow
line!
Before the winter closed in, we used to go for walks and on one
occasion we discovered a concrete base, which had housed a Chain
Home radar mast.
I had one unusual experience, when I spotted an echo
approaching, if I remember correctly, from the west and I called
F.O. Green over and it shot in almost a straight line east at a
speed F.O Green estimated at 3,000 knots. It had disappeared
before any action could be taken. There was an army missile
range at Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, but our wise sergeant
said he had seen similar before and he gave the impression that
he thought it was an electronic quirk. I feel that I can mention
this occurrence, as similar ones have been mentioned in the
Radar Museum Newsletter. We had a PDU table, but it was never
used and F.O. Green controlled intercepts from the console. I
cannot recall whether the Type 80 had a height finding
capability or whether we used a Type 13.
I think that I have exhausted my reminiscences (and you!) of
Saxa Vord."
#Post#: 7453--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: Rein Boomsma
Date: January 6, 2013, 9:48 am
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Excellent Peter, You must have been there right at the start of
Saxa opening. Have you spoken to Gordon Carle yet? He's doing
the blog on Saxa and will be interested in any tales/pictures
you might have. Keep them coming.
#Post#: 7472--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: Peter A Barnes
Date: January 6, 2013, 10:30 am
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We were the first Radar Ops. to arrive at Saxa Vord when it
opened as a ROTOR station: some technical staff had preceeded
us. As I mentioned, there had been a CH and/or CHL station
previously. I have exchanged a number of e:mails with Gordon
and he put my reminiscences, with some photographs on his blog.
Peter
#Post#: 8389--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: Gordon Carle
Date: January 30, 2013, 9:44 am
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This link really has nothing to do with Saxa but it is probably
of most interest to those who served there. If anyone thinks it
should belong somewhere else on the site I don't mind if it's
moved.
HTML http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-first-radar-on-unst.html
#Post#: 10087--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: guest83
Date: March 25, 2013, 9:07 am
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I went to Saxa from Hong Kong in 1971 and then posted to Cyprus
in 1973. I remember during my time at Saxa I went on leave
(1972) to see my sister in Kent and took good old Scotish notes
with me no one would except them so I had to find a bank that
would change them ! I still had a good time at 91SU Great Days.
#Post#: 12383--------------------------------------------------
Re: Saxa Vord
DIR By: Rein Boomsma
Date: June 20, 2013, 9:13 am
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Do you remember the wind at Saxa? I do, when rain fell
horizontally, and you leaned into wind and walked at 45degrees.
A sod when you got to a spot that was in the lee. You fell over.
Found this recently and thought I'd share it with you,
[URL=
HTML http://s917.photobucket.com/user/Reinboomsma/media/538340_327530814035226_1168303101_n_zpsb331c87f.jpg.html][IMG]http://i917.photobucket.com/albums/ad13/Reinboomsma/538340_327530814035226_1168303101_n_zpsb331c87f.jpg[/img][/URL]
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