algy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Litttle tester for those with local knowledge, I'm sure many of you will have seen this when travelling up Broad Lane, Grappenhall, but do you know what it's purpose was? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Absolutely no idea but I'll have a guess It looks to have a ladder up it so.... a small look out post of some sort (maybe to guard the countryside from imposing travellers and their caravans ) .... maybe an old umpires platform ....the base of some sort of transmitter..... or the remains of a small water tower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Nope! think military technology, although transmitter is along the correct lines, Diz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 gosh that surprised me I thought I was miles out Ermm is it part of a military signal booser (did they have things like that ) or a receiver to pick up ememy chit chat or plane signals was it something to do with the Appleton Airfield during WW2 ? Why am I the only one guessing?... does that mean everyone else knows what it is and I'm just showing my ignorance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Look out during the war for spotting planes. Did you know that they built a dummy airfield on the moss next to the airfield to mislead the Germans. There were also some buildings at the bottom of Green Lane near where the road joins the road to the Thorn. They wereto do with radio/radar as well I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Not a signal booster. Not to pick up enemy chit chat or plane signals. Yes it had something to do with HMS Blackcap at Stretton, Your doing very well Diz, if anyone out there is interested they're probably searching the net the same as I did, whereas you are getting there by using your own brain, if you don't get it on your next reply I will post the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Searchlight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Nope! Peter, not even warm Incidentally it is still there as I took the photo this afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 RADAR!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Did it have an air raid/warning siren on it.... logical woman brain thought ie transmitter = sounds ? = loud noises The man would sit below having his cuppa and when the warning came in he'd race up the ladder and raise the alarm. I guess not Ooooh or maybe a high powered light ('transmitting' light) incase it was foggy... not a good idea as that could direct enemy planes too OOPS ! Or a light which was manually turned on only when our planes were approaching ? I'm running out of ideas now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Sorry Peter's guess was not there when I was typing mine so ignore my guesses about lights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Spot on peter, it the Northern Perimeter radar Beacon Tower, from what I can gather, because HMS Blackcap was on the flightpath of Ringway aerodrome as it was known then, they manned the radar with civilian staff who came from Ringway each day to ensure the military and civil aircraft never came into conflict. I must admit its stretching it a bit to call it a tower, but thats all for now folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 a radio transmitter.... has that already been said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I would guess that it was a light tower to show friendly/allied aircraft the direction to the airstrip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Algy, I guess that people don't "read" the posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 My only excuse is that it was early and I had not had my first cup of coffee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Hmmmm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Algy, I guess that people don't "read" the posts. Algy's answer was not there when I was still thinking whilst typing my final guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I'm sure you will all be interesred to know that there was a second tower situated south of the air base in a field at Antrobus appropriately called the south tower. Heres the original write up:- NORTHERN RADAR. ANTROBUS. One of the lesser known functions carried out by personnel from RNAS, Stretton (HMS Blackcap) was the manning of Northern Radar Control, Antrobus. Owing to the position of RNAS Stretton, being unfortunately geographically positioned in the middle of ? Controlled Air Space ?, namely 2 The Manchester Control Zone ?. This air space or zone as it is officially recognized, is a specific area determined by height from ground level and covers several airfields , Manchester / Ringway, Barton, Stretton, Burtonwood, Liverpool / Speake, Southport, Burscough., all within its dimensions where conflicts of movements could and often did, lead to near misses. RNAS Stretton mainly, but not entirely being a weekend flying station with RNVR Aircrew, tended to increase the normal air traffic in the area along side traffic going into the previously mentioned airfields. In addition to this local traffic was the additional problem of the main North / South Airway known as ? Amber One ? passing through the middle of the zone, used mainly by International Flights. In order to inject some sort of safety in to this miss-match of aircraft a joint Royal Navy / Ministry of Civil Aviation Radar control unit was established at Antrobus called ? Northern Radar ?. This facility was situated a few miles south of Stretton on isolated farmland. The prime function of Northern Radar was to ?Facilitate the safe and expedious flights of both service and civil traffic within the Manchester Control Zone ?. The civilian air traffic controller?s task was to effect an efficient flow of traffic into and out of Manchester / Ringway and Liverpool/ Speake Airports. The U.S.A.A.F. at Burtonwood as is their ilk used Nothern Radar on a need ? you ? when ? I ? need ? you ? basis, only calling for assistance when they felt the need arose, that was a bit dodgy, even in those days, knowing the ability and quality of some of the pilots, all very well on a fine, clear day, but you should have heard them shout when it got a bit foggy and the weather closed in!!!!!!. Two types of Radar were used on the site, a radar for low coverage and a radar for higher coverage. There was an overlap between the top of the low coverage and the bottom of the higher coverage radar. This meant that before an aircraft disappeared from the screen on the low radar, it appeared on the bottom of the screen for the higher radar giving you a positive control of the aircraft at all times, this was in the days before I.F.F. ( Identification Friend / Foe), no squawking you had to instruct the pilot to make 90 degree turn either left or right and watch the echo on the screen respond to identify the plane you were talking to. The low coverage radar was a type 227, a standard (at that time) ships radar. The aerial being chicken wire nailed to a large wooden frame rotated by an electric motor, after all it was the 1950?s, the presentation of this in the ops room was on a P.P.I ( Plan Position Indicator ) the all too familiar rotating sweeping arm on a circular TV type screen. The high radar was a type 15 of similar construction to the type 227, whose presentation in the ops room was different. It was an ? A ? scope presentation with the incoming aircraft being displayed vertical on a screen with side lobes coming off at various levels to indicate the aircraft?s height, premature, yes, but it made flying in the Manchester Control Zone much safer. Communications were rather more modern, each back ? to his opposite number at either Manchester or Liverpool by a small directly switchable loudspeaker/earphones as required, in that, they could liaise directly with incoming and outgoing flights. The Naval controllers likewise had similar facilities to the airfield at Stretton and sat side by side with their civilian controllers working together to identify each others aircraft. All Naval aircraft upon getting airborne from Stretton, had to transfer their radio frequency to Northern radar for clearance through the control zone to their destination, be it to an exercise area or a destination airfield, obtaining radar surveillance to the edge of the zone, providing the radar coverage was sufficient. Maintenance of the equipment was the responsibility of the Ministry of Civil Aviation who had several on-site technicians with a fully equipped electronic workshop. Great reliance was placed on Northern Radar, the serviceability and operational status of the site was of the utmost importance, as any ?down ?time ?caused congestion at both Liverpool and Manchester Airports. The Naval personnel came to the site daily from Stretton, whilst the Civilian personnel came over from Manchester in a mini bus with their Air traffic Control Assistants. There was usually four Air Traffic Controllers plus two assistants and on the Naval side two Controllers and two Assistants. The Naval Officer in Charge was Lt/ Cmdr. Maurice Graham and Lt. (Kit) Carson. Unfortunately very little indeed is left today of Northern Radar, a very important feature of Naval and Civil flying in the area. Credits for the article - Don Macgregor (Aircraft Handler and Air Traffic Control Stretton and Northern Radar) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 And not many people know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 Your probably right Peter and whats more there won't be many 'Anoraks' like me who will want to know, but Hey! if it interests just one it was worth the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I moved to Wrights Green just when the camp had closed apart from a skeleton crew. I worked on a farm bordering the airfield and the farm actually took over the airfield. The control tower was still there as were the hangars(some are still there now) and the firing range where they tested the planes guns. Part of the airfield was taken over by Fords for testing their cars and I think some dog training when on there as well. It's sad that one only gets interested in history later on in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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