The Storm – New Year 1991/92 Part 3 – Pictures of the Top Site

The following summary gives an outline of the main damage at the Top Site:

• One of the 100ft high Link 11 masts was bent in half and the antenna was left resting on the ground.
• The HF 200 radome (55ft in diameter) was destroyed, fortunately there was only minor damage to the HF200 aerial.


• The 65ft diameter radome for the Type 96 (S649) was destroyed, major damage was done to both of the back to back aerials and associated equipment. 
• The large radome intended for the Type 93 was totally wiped out. This large dome (110ft in diameter) had been twice previously wrecked by high winds in 1989 (newspaper cuttings attached).

Some photos of the Top Site after the storm are shown below:

Elsewhere there were various degrees of damage at the Domestic Site and to Quarters. The TACAN radome at Vallafield was blown away and the TACAN antenna badly damaged.

Display on Unst – The events of the night were recorded on a Type 96 radome panel – This panel is currently on display in the ex Station Medical Centre (Foords Chocolates) – It has more information and some Photos which are not included here.

Linked Sections:

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-1.html

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-2-coverage.html

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-4-some-of.html

CONTENTS LIST

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

The Storm – New Year 1991/92 Part 2 – Coverage in the Shetland Times

The following 3 pictures are from the Shetland Times Issue of 3 Jan 92. On the day of Issue the islands were still experiencing gale force winds. (Left click on the pictures to enlarge and some zooming will probably be necessary).

Linked Sections:

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-1.html

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-3-pictures.html

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-4-some-of.html







CONTENTS LIST

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

The Storm – New Year 1991/92 Part 1

On the night of 31 Dec 91 – 1 Jan 92 Shetland experienced the worst storm in living memory with wind speeds of up to 197mph recorded. It is probable that the wind was even stronger in some places where there was no anemometer to register the force of the gales. The two photos below show the Top Site before and after the Storm. (Left click on pictures to enlarge).

The Cause.  A low pressure area formed off Newfoundland on the evening of the 30 Dec and started tracking eastwards towards Europe, deepening as it went. The depression itself was moving at 50mph and was seen to be heading towards the Faroes and Shetland. The Met Office recognised the signs and issued severe weather warnings for the north of Scotland on the evening of the 31st. The strongest winds in Shetland occurred between 1am and dawn and, whilst the winds abated somewhat, gales continued for the next 3 days. This hampered the emergency services and made damage assessment difficult.

The Results. The newspaper articles below are from the Sunday Times and from the Daily Star. The Sunday Times article was written by Jonathan Wills, a Shetlander who used to be the Editor of the Shetland Times. The Daily Star article was contained in the Station Scrap Book and has been annotated by an unknown hand.

On Unst, away from the camp one of the sites to suffer severe Damage was Hagdale Lodge

Because I am limited for space in each section I will be publishing 3 further pieces about the storm in the next week or two

Part 2 - Will just contain the story as it was told in the issue of the Shetland Times published just after the event.

Part 3 - Will contain some photos of the damage done at the Top Site

Part 4 - Will deal with some of the repercussions at Saxa
 

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-2-coverage.html

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-3-pictures.html

http://ahistoryofrafsaxavord.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/storm-new-year-199192-part-4-some-of.html
 

CONTENTS LIST

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

The Last Rugby Match – Sep 1999

It was difficult for Saxa to field a 15 strong team in RAF Rugby matches – especially when playing away. The numbers involved were a considerable proportion of the total strength and the travel time often made it impractical to take part in games outside Shetland. For most of the time when Saxa was operational Rugby was not really a Shetland sport. There were many avid soccer players and many leagues (soccer being played mainly as a summer sport because of the weather in the winter months).
Whilst there had been occasional matches against visiting RAF teams and a team from Sullom Voe there was usually a long time between fixtures. However, in the latter part of the stations life rugby took on in Lerwick and a local club was reformed (here had been one in the late 1800’s). Naturally a rivalry took up between Saxa and Lerwick which led to some good-natured exchanges. Saxas home pitch was at Burrafirth – far better views than Murrayfield or Twickenham – you just had to be a little more careful to avoid rabbit holes & sheep droppings!

With the start of the run down and a decreasing establishment these matches had to come to an end. The last match took place in Sep 1999 and was preserved in print by an unknown photographer. If anyone claims ownership of the pictures below I’m happy to add credits or remove them if necessary. As the note attached to the pictures said – Saxa ceased to be the UKs most northerly Rugby Club after this match. If anyone happens to remember the result I will be happy to publish it as a late news item! Left click on pictures to enlarge.

CONTENTS LIST

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Christmas 1999 Issue of “Saxa Voice”

This section just contains 2 pictures reproduced from the “Saxa Voice” published late in 1999. The CO was Sqn Ldr Andy Duffus. The first picture shows the cover of the magazine and includes service personnel and families, whilst the second is restricted to service personnel.

Magazine pictures don’t normally provide for high resolution copies and so I have tried to publish them at the highest quality I can. One of the problems with a blog site compared to a full website is that you are limited to the amount that you publish (usually about 1Mb per section.). This disadvantage is offset by the fact that blog sites are usually free! However, because of the detail in the picture I have overstepped that limit a little. (Left click on the pictures to enlarge)

CONTENTS LIST

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

AOC in C Strike Command Visit 29 Mar 1989

In March 1989 Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Hine GCB, FRAeS, CBIM and a party visitors spent the day at RAF Saxa Vord. The party consisted of:-

The ACM accompanied by his ADC Flt Lt Hedley-Smith
Brig Gen Fryer (USAF) accompanied by his wife Mrs Fryer
Maj Hansen (R Danish AF Liaison Officer)
Air Cdre Joan Hopkins from HQ Strike Command – was kinown as “Auntie Joan” and well-respected by everyone who worked with her and by many others who came ito contact with her. Sadly she has recently passed away but will be fondly remembered by many.

The party was met at Scatsta by the Stn Cdr Sqn Ldr Peter Hunter.

Whilst on the Domestic Site the AOC in C officially opened the new Sergeants’ Mess.

The party were given a tour of the Top Site where they were also accompanied by the S Eng O – Sqn Ldr Tuck and Mrs Tuck.

CONTENTS LIST

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Battle of Britain and Remembrance Day Parades (updated 20 Oct 2010)

From the opening of RAF Saxa Vord until very late on in the life of the Unit servicemen participated in Battle of Britain and Remembrance Day Parades – the only exceptions being years when there was insufficient manpower to be able to release staff. The larger element participated in the main Lerwick Parades but there was usually a small representation at the  Baltasound Remembrance Day Service. I have attached a few pictures below. (Left Click on pictures to enlarge).

I’m grateful to Lez Fishman, Mike McDonald & Harry Cairns for the list of people in the picture above they have recognised:-
Flt Bob Hyde
WO Bowie?
Row 1 Left - Lez Fishman, Middle - Farquhar?, Right – Patrick Bunn
Row 2 Left – Jimmy Haswell
Row 3 ?
Row 4 Right - Johnny Larkman

Row 5 Right - Larry Bain
Row 6 ?
Row 7 Left – Matt Drake
Row 8 Middle - Keith Phillips
Row 9 Right - Mike Harbord
Row 10 Left – Mike Macdonald (young & handsome he says) – Right - possibly Dennis Bright
Row 11 Right – Sgt Sandy Provan?

Sullom Voe

 In 1997 there was a special Remembrance Service at Sullom Voe, which had been a Coastal Command Centre during WWII. Sunderland and Catalina flying boats were based there and carried out extensive operations mainly on escort duties and against U Boats in the North Atlantic. Many aircrew from overseas (particularly from Norway & Canada) took part in these missions. 330 & 333 Sqns, manned by Norwegians flying Sunderlands were based at Sullom and 413 Sqn, manned by Canadians, flying Catalinas carried out some operations from the base. A number of overseas nationals were also integrated within RAF Sqns. An airfield was also built at Scatsa, close to Sullom, to house fighters whose main mission was to protect the Flying Boat Base.

More than 50 years after the end of the war a special gathering, with the unveiling of a monument, took place. Many veterans, including a number from overseas, returned to Shetland for the occasion. RAF Saxa Vord was represented by the Station Commander, who laid one of a number of wreathes, and by a small Guard of Honour.

 

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