UK Cold War Location Map

[Cyberhacker]

I think the RAF subsequently located another secret-squirrel compound on the airfield, possibly something to do with a radar, but it was after my time and I didn’t hear what it was for.

I believe (but could be wrong) that one of the RAF Boulmer "mobile" radars was slated to go out to play there.

 

[Speedy]

Speedy, I dunno if it's of any interest but there was a comms location known as RAF Rothwell Haigh to the West of Leeds Lat: 53°44'37.46"N Long: 1°30'32.34"W

Apparently it was a GPO repeater station and had the CEGB Regional Grid Control Centre next door. It's been demolished now (as shown on Google Earth) but the bungalow to the North was also part of it (perhaps some kind of admin block).

As a kid growing up nearby we thought there was an underground city beneath it but looking at the pictures it was just a load of boring comms kit & generators!

Sorry for not replying sooner, had a busy Xmas and didn't notice any notifications in this thread.
As regards the location you listed, I'm a bit adverse to showing locations already redundant or abandoned by late 1989, which is why I hadn't shown any RAF ROTAR radar stations for example. A lot of what was used back then was often repurposed WWII locations and it gets very messy finding out what roles a particular site had filled over the course of 50 years. Sometimes many!
I have listed some 'unusual' sites which had cold war historic value, but I think it's safe to leave them at that.
What I suspect happened with locations such as this, is that they had been replaced by the UNITER project (shown on the map) where various disparate RAF comms systems were rolled into one, beginning in the 70's and the old buildings were shut down but left in situ.

 

[Speedy]

I believe (but could be wrong) that one of the RAF Boulmer "mobile" radars was slated to go out to play there.

I was at Leconfield in early 88 but accomodated at Driffield. The RAF had a mobile site operating there during my stay and, IIRC, this was because Boulmer was being upgraded or something similar.
Used to get the A10's practicing overhead at Driffield too, which was always a joy to watch.

 

[Cyberhacker]

I was at Leconfield in early 88 but accomodated at Driffield. The RAF had a mobile site operating there during my stay and, IIRC, this was because Boulmer was being upgraded or something similar.
Used to get the A10's practicing overhead at Driffield too, which was always a joy to watch.

Driffield was for Staxton Wold... my old man was very involved with that one!

 

[Speedy]

You already have RAF Welford on your list, but could the pads on the eastern side of RAF Welford be something connected to Greenham Common. The missiles would be launched from pre surveyed positions. These are close to Greenham Common and easy ish to get to, though no doubt the location is already known to the Russians and marked for a couple of warheads.

RP.

I've had a look and, as you have already said, I don't think that any launch sites would be in any location already targetted for a dose of instant sunshine.
Those pad are just munitions loading/unloading areas I think. You can also see very similar ones at Kineton.

 

[Speedy]

Driffield was for Staxton Wold... my old man was very involved with that one!

Thank you, got my stations mixed up! Was it being upgraded at the time do you know?

 

[Harry Clampers]

Thank you, was looking for more things to add. I did put in all the Thor and Bloodhound missile sites this week, but had to leave out one Thor site as it has been almost completely returned to farmland now.

Here's a BH site that might not appear on any list.

 

[Harry Clampers]

northcoates was as far north as it got,closed about 1990, i can recall a local newspaper cutting with the local in breeds saying they were glad to see the RAF go as they never fitted in (what with the normal ration of fingers etc).
Cue a story that the home office was looking at it for an open prison, and the locals were begging the local MP to keep the base open.

RAF Breighton is a little further North. Breighton Aerodrome - Wikipedia

 

[Speedy]

Here's a BH site that might not appear on any list.

Is that NI? I'd been reluctant to add any NI locations as, whilst there were several cold war locations there (including US bases) most had been removed by the early 70's due to the troubles.
An NI map may be a good project, but as I never did a tour there I have very limited knowlege of the locations etc.

 

[Harry Clampers]

Is that NI? I'd been reluctant to add any NI locations as, whilst there were several cold war locations there (including US bases) most had been removed by the early 70's due to the troubles.
An NI map may be a good project, but as I never did a tour there I have very limited knowlege of the locations etc.

No, it's just to the south of Edinburgh, a former HAA site at Liberton. As Ferranti was just down the road at Crewe Toll it's probably a publicity still.

 

[Cyberhacker]

Thnak you, got my stations mixed up! Was it being upgraded at the time do you know?

Yes... they were replacing the old/fixed Type 84 and Type 85 radars with a "mobile" Type 91 (Marconi Martello) and a Type 92 (GE AN/TPS-77) IIRC

Described as mobile, they could deploy as a multi-vehicle convoy... but most of the time sat under a dome at home base

Updated to correct T92 model

 

[Harry Clampers]

Staxton is due to get the INDRA LANZA LTR-25 once it's gone through trials.

 

[Speedy]

Yes... they were replacing the old/fixed Type 84 and Type 85 radars with a "mobile" Type 91 (Marconi Martello) and a Type 92 (GE AN/FPS-117) IIRC

Described as mobile, they could deploy as a multi-vehicle convoy... but most of the time sat under a dome at home base

That is quite informative. I wasn't aware that what I took to be static radars could (dependant on model) be made portable.

 

[twentyfirstoffoot]

@Speedy I am sure you have looked at this, but just in case Outline of the British Royal Air Force at the end of the Cold War - Wikipedia

 

[Speedy]

@Speedy I am sure you have looked at this, but just in case Outline of the British Royal Air Force at the end of the Cold War - Wikipedia

Very helpful, I'll take a look through there later and see if I've missed any (I've already spotted one).
Given how the RAF had lots of very small units and locations it has been quite hard to get info on all of them, and again, as I've previously mentioned, it has been a struggle to get decent lists of all three services locations that had closed with Options For Change.
It really makes you appreciate just how much info has been put on the internet in the past 20 years!

ETA: Who knew there was an RAF Woolwich at the end of the cold war! Proiving to be a bugger to find its location though.

 

[Speedy]

At the bottom of that page are also these links to the army anmd navy structure in 1989.
these will be increadibly helpful!

Outline of the British Army at the end of the Cold War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Outline of the British Royal Navy at the end of the Cold War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yay! More work, although I do note that some of the army units listed don't have locations next to them. As long as I can get some of the more obsucre ones added I'll be happy!

 

[giatttt]

Currently tagging up the special weapons and GLCM compounds and this one on the airfield at Ouston (Albermarle Barracks) has been bugging me for several years now:

View attachment 529492

I suspect it is an overnighting stop for the old RAF nuke convoys and is the only one I have found. If anyone knows more about this, please let me know.

The map on this page may be of assistance.

 

[twentyfirstoffoot]

At the bottom of that page are also these links to the army anmd navy structure in 1989.
these will be increadibly helpful!

Outline of the British Army at the end of the Cold War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Outline of the British Royal Navy at the end of the Cold War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yay! More work, although I do note that some of the army units listed don't have locations next to them. As long as I can get some of the more obsucre ones added I'll be happy!

I wondered if you had spotted those.

Re RAF Woolwich there is an Air Cadet and ACF Detachment next to the new Med Cen on Green Hill and if you use your imagination.........

 

[Themanwho]

I had wondered if they were misplaced because someone had used coords from a different projection and they were really meant to be somewhere else.

I am fairly sure that several GLCM were planned to be deployed to Longmoor near Bordon in 1985 if the the balloon had ever gone up, having got a lift back from Greenham Common one Sunday night from a ginormous black Yank Sergeant in his gas guzzling, left hand drive car.

Three of us were walking from Greenham Common back to Bordon after the car died in the M4 Services (a wheel actually fell off), and Plod took us to the nearest military base. Naively, we rang up the Bordon guardroom asking for the duty wagon to come and pick us up, to be told after the laughter stopped that they weren't providing a taxi service. So it was shanks' pony to Basingstoke and hope we were in time for the milk train to Liss; about ten miles' walk, and then the huge Merkin-mobile hove into view and a southern drawl inquired "You boys need a lift?" We piled in, and after each being given a frosty cold Budweiser from the huge beer cooler on the back seat told him our tale of woe. We'd originally asked for a lift to Basingstoke but as soon as he heard we were based at Bordon, he offered to drive us all the way there, he knew the area from "Doin' recon on launch sites". So there you go.

I've always been treated well by the Cousins.

 

[br9mp812]

Here's a BH site that might not appear on any list.

First i ve seen with that pod on top can make out the boosters but cannot recall the pod