EASTERN RADAR JATCRU and RAF WATTON Aerodrome

 

EAS0 via Barry Davidson

EAS0a  via Barry Davidson  dated 1988

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RAF Watton before its ATC role, was a Bloodhound missile station. photo below from Barry Davidson. Above from Don Gilham is the JATCRU’s crest. And from  Terry Day  (via Barry) is this copy of the unit Magazine

Timebase

you’ll need to reset the zoom setting to view the C-130 cartoon in Timebase, and for younger readers who don’t understand the punch line on Page 14, there was a contemporary advertising campaign for STORK margarine which claimed that “You can’t tell Stork from butter.

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and even earlier the wartime control tower building

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EASOf Bristol Blenheim  L1345 at Watton

EASOg Handley Page Hastings of RAF Signals Commands Inspectorate of Radio Services and Installations, (IRIS).  This is either Hastings TG560 ‘ IRIS II’ or Hastings C.2, WJ338 “Iris III”.

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Our thanks to Russell Coy-Burt for the following photos of Eastern Radar. Russell thought the photographs were taken by an Airman named Donald Henderson. Its subsequently known these photographs were taken by Norman Henderson, a civilian assistant at Watton from 1975 to 1988 (thanks to Norman and Steve Jones for the update) . The ops room photos were taken in 1988.

Northern and Midland were similar inside and out.

EAS 1Eastern Radar main building

EAS2 Type 82 Radar

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EAS3 Gloster Meteor gate guardian

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this NATS Civil ATC Training Handbook also includes a floor plan of the operations room

Civil North Sea Radar Unit Training Handbook – JATCRU Watton

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EAS7 Civil Cell: Pam Bufton

and here is what a civil North Sea controller needed in terms of knowledge and skills in order to go solo.

North Sea Radar sector controller validation objectives JATCRU Watton

EAS8 Civil Console

EAS9  still from a time lapse film of Eastern Radar created by a piece of kit called the Kelvin Hughes Photographic Projector

Now a new selection of photographs from Dave Wilton

EAS10   The first was taken at Eastern for the presentation of the station crest to Winston Boardman (ATCO2) upon his retirement in May 1987.  Left to right:  S/L Andy Fagg, W/C Peter Raikes OC Eastern Radar, John Horn (ATCO2), Val Wilton (ATSA2), Dave Wilton (ATCO2), Winston Boardman, Mike Sargent (ATCO2), Mike Frampton (ATCO1, Eastern Civil boss), Bill Hastings (ATCO2), Pat Phillips (secretary), Pam Bufton (ATCO2).

US Air Force air traffic control officer Captain (CPT) Susanne Hechinger examines a map with Colonel (COL) Peter Raikes, Royal Air Force (RAF), at the RAF Watton eastern radar installation for air traffic control operations. The base is jointly used by the British and the US Air Force/Army.

EAS 10a for Colonel read Wing Commander! photo and caption Department of Defense. American Forces Information Service. Defense Visual Information Center.

US Air Force air traffic control officer Captain (CPT) Susanne Hechinger coordinates air traffic from a controller station while British Flight Lieutenant (LT) Mark Wordley looks on at the RAF Watton eastern radar installation for air traffic control operations. The base is jointly used by the British and the US Air Force/Army.

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EAS11   The second was taken during Eastern’s final afternoon duty on Friday 4th March 1988 (myself seated, Val Wilton working the edge-lit board).

EAS12   The third was taken while signing the watch log after the handover to North Sea Sector at West Drayton.

and when it moved here is the provisional LATCC MATS Part 2 for North Sea

MATS pt 2 North Sea Sector Provisional

EAS13    Final ATCO watch-list (top) and an earlier one too from 1985

EAS 14   Another picture taken on the final afternoon.  Left to right, Stacey Wilby (ATSA2), Bill Hastings (ATCO2), Tony “Zero” Stephenson (ATSA2), Val Wilton (ATSA2), Dave Pitman (ATSA2), Bill Wright (ATCO2), Bob Johnson (ATSA2) & Paul Winstanley (ATCO2).

EAS15   A day or so after the closure the Eastern (Civil) staff were given a farewell ride around Watton on the horse and cart owned by local removal firm Abel’s.  Mike Frampton and Steve Jones seen admiring the horses, while those on the cart include Alan Sandison, Paul Winstanley, Bob Johnson, John Horn, Bill Hastings, Geoff Brown, Stacey Wilby, Pat Phillips, Val Wilton & Barbara Long.

First OC Eastern Radar

above, a short summary of the career of Eastern’s first CO Sdn Ldr Don Newall RAF via Barry Davidson

EAS 16 Station Plan 1965

plus two downloads. First the above plan as a larger PDF file   Watton station plan 1965

and the 1965 RAF Watton Station Brochure    1965 RAF Watton Station Brochure