TACAN On Unst

The text below is largely based on information received and my guesswork using the pictures I have available. If anyone with more knowledge of the TACAN on Unst sees any mistakes I would appreciate it if they would get in touch so that I can amend this section:- gordon.carle@gmail.com

The name TACAN is based on the full name of the equipment – Tactical Air Navigation System. It was designed for the military and suitably equipped aircraft could obtain a slant range and bearing from the equipment. If an aircrafts crew could interrogate 2 TACAN sites it was possible to fix their position very accurately by triangulation.

My first attempt at publishing this section has been amended after receiving advice from Steve Harrison who worked at the Transmitter/Receiver sites from Nov 91 to May 93. He and his section were responsible for the TACAN. I have also received some significant information from Bob Jenner

TACAN at the Top Site
The picture below has been produced from 2 pictures sent by Bob Jenner of the Air Ministry Plan for Saxa’s TACAN dated 1958 (the poor attempt at joining the 2 pictures was my responsibility!). I believe that the equipment must have been erected in that year or very soon thereafter.

The next photo, taken in 1963 from Burrafirth, shows the TACAN beacon to the right of the Type 80 before the radome was built.

The next 3 photos show the TACAN aerial on Saxa in the years following.

 

TACAN on VallafieldIn the first half of the 80’s it was decided that the TACAN should be relocated to Vallafield, about 10km (6 miles) SSW of Saxa. I don’t know why the move took place - possibly because of interference with other equipment or because of line of sight obstruction caused by too many aerials on site. The move did not go too smoothly as there were problems in getting permission to construct an access road. Eventually a 5km track was constructed from near the south end of the Loch of Watlee to the trig point at the top of Vallafield (216m – 708ft). I’m sure that permission would be refused nowadays as Vallafield is a significant breeding area for Red-throated Divers. The next 2 photos show the Vallafield TACAN just as it was made operational in 1986 - it was enclosed in a 20ft radome. The TACAN installed was a mobile version

The next 3 pictures show Vallafield from the air in late 1991.

Those who were on Unst for the New Year 31 Dec 91/1 Jan 92 will remember the night well – the worst storms in living memory. Practically every item of equipment was destroyed or badly damaged (this night will be the subject of a long section in the blog in the future). The TACAN on Vallafield also incurred the wrath of this storm. The radome was completely shattered, the TACAN severely damaged and beyond economical repair. Sometime later the dome was rebuilt and a new mobile TACAN was delivered from the UK mainland. After Flight Trials the site was re-commissioned in 1992/3 – Thanks to Steve Harrison for correcting my earlier version of events.

Footnote

The following photos were taken during a walk on the west side of Unst in May 2010 and show the remains of the TACAN site. The access road is still there but there is a sign at the bottom of the track saying it is unsafe for vehicles. There is also a locked gate at a cattle grid some distance from the top. However, there were recent tyre tracks right up to the old radome base!.

CONTENTS LIST

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/contents-list.html

 

Departure of the Type 93 Radar

The Type 93 arrived at Saxa in the autumn of 1993 and was installed in a purpose built radome. Unlike much of the previous equipment on site it was delivered using normal civilian routes. It arrived at Aberdeen by road, was transported to Shetland by P&O Scottish Ferries to the Holmsgarth Terminal in Lerwick and was then transferred to Saxa using Shetland roads and the inter-island ferries. Twelve years later it was to return to the UK mainland using the same methods of transport.
Following the decision to close Saxa Vord the Type 93 was dismantled in the autumn of 2005, loaded onto trucks and transported to Belmont where it was put aboard the inter-island ferry the MV Geira (still in service in 2010).

I am grateful to the last Station Commander, Sqn Ldr Phil Carpenter, for permission to use the following sequence of pictures. (Left click on photos to enlarge).

PACKING UP

REMOVAL

LOADING

DEPARTURE

CONTENTS LIST

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/contents-list.html

Special Deliveries

Because of its location on the most northerly inhabited island in the UK Saxa Vord always had to be treated as a special case when large items or bulk materials were needed. It was only in the middle 70's that RoRo ferries enabled vehicles and their cargo to reach Unst. Even then it was not necessarily the most economic way of moving large items.


In 1954 the Type 13, Type 14 and Type 80 Radars were delivered by landing craft directly to Baltasound, as was much of the equipment needed to build and run the camp. (Left click on pictures to enlarge).

In 1963 a new Fire Tender was also delivered to Baltasound in a Landing Craft.

A Landing Craft was used again in 1965, this time to deliver a new Snow Plough for the station.

Between 1965 and 1967 much of the material used in the building of the first quarters at Setters Hill must have been delivered by sea – especially as the buildings were largely prefabricated. I know that the furniture for the quarters was delivered by the SS Eden Fisher (1173 GRT), a picture of her at the Baltasound pier is shown below:-

As covered in an earlier part of the Blog the Royal Engineers arrived on Unst in 1967 to construct the Unst Airstrip. Their equipment arrived aboard the Sir Bedivere and was landed using Mexe Floats at either Skeo Taing or alongside the pier at Baltasound. The photos below haven't used before and show vehicles and heavy plant approaching the Baltasound pier and being landed at Skeo Taing.

Development of the Type 13 Heightfinder was started in the the middle of WWII. It's operational life at Saxa was from 1957 to 1976 and it was not enclosed in a radome. Because of the elements (and probably old age) parts of the Type 13 had to be repaired/replaced frequently. It was decided at one stage that a total replacement of the Type 13 cabin was needed – the new cabin was delivered to Baltasound in 1970. The following photos were taken at the time.

Bulk fuel oil was required on a regular basis. It was stored in tanks at Baltasound and piped to the domestic site. Even after the introduction of RoRo ferries it was sometimes cheaper to have it delivered delivered by ship to the Baltasound Pier.

The reconstruction of the Top Site, new Ops Block, erection of the S649 and HF200 etc, in the period 1976 to 79 must have entailed the transport of massive amounts of equipment and material. Whilst some of this may have arrived via the inter island RoRo ferries the bulk of it came by sea. The 2 photos below show the arrival of the radome panels for the S649 and the HF 200.

The married quarters at SHE were rebuilt in the years 1993 to 95 and good use was made of the MV Shetland Trader. The following pictures were taken of the ship and its cargo at Baltasound.

I know that there were plenty of other deliveries to Unst by sea. On a number of occasions an S259 Radar from 1ACC at Wattisham was deployed and subsequently recovered from the Top Site and I have recently discovered that UPS1 was also deployed (I hope to amend the Radars at the Top Site rather drastically in the coming months). I have no pictures of the movement of these radars by sea but in October 1972 an S259 was removed from the hill by 2 Puma Helicopters and was transported to the Unst Airstrip – later it was taken by the Pumas to Sumburgh where it was loaded onto a C130 Hercules for return to Wattisham.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has any information about any other “special deliveries” or despatches from RAF Saxa Vord

CONTENTS LIST

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/contents-list.html