On the hills approximately 6 miles to the north east of Derry/Londonderry is the small but abandoned signal station at Killylane. Constructed during the Second World War, the site was used for around 20 years as a Royal Navy shore-to-ship radio communication station communicating with naval vessels operating across the… Read More »Site Visit – Signal Station, Killylane
The contentious issue of the Irish border is not a new one. In secret documents uncovered at the National Archives at Kew, one page in particular highlights measures that were considered and dismissed by military planners. A ‘cordon sanitaire’ a mile or so wide along the Border. Illegal for those… Read More »The Hard Border
In order to separate crowds of protesters and offer some protection to security forces and members of the opposite community, a series of mobile sight screens were introduced; constructed out of hessian and timber and mounted on the side of a 4-ton truck, imaged above. The resulting screens were 16… Read More »Mobile Screens
On 8 April 1971, a high priority order was received for three vehicles to be fitted out for use as fish and ship vans in Northern Ireland. After some deliberation, it was decided to use the Bedford J Type (J2SZ2, code No. 2660-0149) Hawson Body large van, three of which… Read More »Armoured Fish and Chip Van
The introduction of the AP rifle launched grenade came after the lethal IRA ambush at Derryard just after 1600 hrs on 13 December 1989. This prompted an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) to be issued; returning the Luchaire 40mm Rifle Grenade. Along the southern border of Northern Ireland, just north of… Read More »Derryard aftermath; the introduction of the rifle grenade into Northern Ireland
With any conflict comes a risk to national infrastructure by terrorist organisations as a means to exert power and create panic and unrest among the population in the name of their cause. Long before the official start of Operation Banner in 1969, local Government and security forces (SF) were concerned… Read More »Protecting Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure
Address The Fort, Helen’s Bay, Bangor BT19 1PU Google Maps Grey Point Fort on Google Maps Website Visit Northern Ireland WebsiteRadio Society Website Facebook Grey Point Fort Amateur Radio Society Facebook Page Opening Times Weekends 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (unconfirmed) Date of Visits 3 September 201711 May 200813 June… Read More »Visit Report – Grey Point Fort
Address Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 5XJ Google Maps Fort Luton on Google Maps Website www.fortluton.co.uk Facebook Fort Luton Facebook Page Opening Times Work days for volunteers every Saturday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Public open days advertised on social media. Date of Visit 29 September 2018 Facilities… Read More »Visit Report – Fort Luton
Having conducted some research in the Royal Engineer Bomb Disposal (BD) archives at Carver Barracks, I came across a fascinating report covering the neutralising of a WW2 German Type GC parachute mine at Burghley Road, London, by Major G.R. Fletcher MBE, Royal Engineers. When I started to read the report… Read More »Parachute Mine Defused in London, October 1969
I first published this article in 2018 when I had spent some time in Kent and after walking the River Medway around Maidstone realised that a large proportion of the Second World War pillboxes still remained. There is no interpretation with this article, it is purely a record of each… Read More »Lower Medway Pillboxes