RAF AMES 504 Dingli Cliff Malta

[bill247]

Dee, glad you like them . there are a lot of things that you dont see on the website but the main attraction in the battle of malta hanger is the spitfire and hurricane.   bill.

[DeeBoneham]

But of course they are... Very special aircraft in lots of ways.

Hope Kyt can find out some about Dingli for you.  Hes a bit of guru and has the contacts to find out more...

Dee

[Black Night]

Hi Bill I noticed your post the other day. I lived in Malta in the late Sixties, my Father was station there.  As lads do, me  and some of my mates walked along the Dingli Cliffs on many occasions. Sadly  I can't tell you Exactly where you father worked  but I do know south east of the village of Dingli there was some kind of Radio Station . Boys being Boys we would mess about in the old buildings pretending to play war games. I remember one building built of some kind of stone and concrete with a green painted square by the door. I can't remember what was exactly on it but I'm sure it was some kind of radio station. there was also concrete slabs very close to it which maybe where the masts were. I have a book on the Siege of Malta 1940-1943 called Fortress Malta by James Holland. I've look through it and found nothing regarding radio stations at Dingli.  My Brother, who is 4 years older than I may know better the position of radar stations  on the Island , he was in the Air Force too  and is a bit of an anorak  on all things RAF.  I'll try and contact him and see if he can help. Good hunting Dave.

[bill247]

hi dave, thank you very much for your reply to the post. i am told that the radars always stood on the top of dingli cliff near the magdalena church ,but if you remember dingli cliff is quite long. i too have the siege of malta book and it i think mentions 1 radar being the ames 241 which stood at the end of the road from dingli village near the navy look-out post. anyway thanks again and if your brother comes up with something i will be very interested. cheers, bill

[scrimnet]

Have just been flicking through  Tony Spooner's (DSO DFC) Faith Hope And Malta GC, having remembered I have it in  my library...

Marvellous account of the air war in Malta, but haven't found a reference to the radar...yet...Apart from the airborne ASV stuff

Incidentally, the book is dedicated to the RAF MO at Takali by Spooner himself...

[Black Night]

Faith, Hope and Charity the three Gloster Gladiators that held of the mighty Luftwaffe and Italian Air Force for so long . I bet it's a good book.

[bill247]

Hello, Bill from Glasgow here again ,
May i take this opportunity to say a HUGE thanks to everyone who answered my appeal for information on my research into my Late Dad's Radar Unit ( RDF No 504 COL Ames Unit ) at Dingli Cliff MALTA .
 I  would just like to say that after almost 4 yrs of searching i have finally found an answer .
I had always thought that Dad's Radar Unit was located at OR near the present Radar dome at Dingli cliff , On this site was the Advanced Chain Overseas High unit ( a.c.o. ) comprising of the first & second Radar units on Malta being No 241 & No 242 Ames units which arrived on the Island on March 1939 and June 1940 respectfully .  My Dad's unit along with another 2 chain overseas low looking Radars arrived on the 9Th November and were located at fort ta silg ( No 501 ) and fort Magdalena ( 502 ) and at Dingli ( 504 ) .
My Dad's Radar however was NOT at the present dome site but was located about 500 metres away on a site called TAL-PITKAL  and was located on the existing Mobile Base site as the Air Ministry papers call it . I also have an Air MINISTRY 1941 MAP which shows the VHF/DF station marked on this site in the COL column of the map.
At this present time i have  3 ex RAF people looking at my information and they srved at Dingli in the 1950's , i also have 2 RAF warrant officers  doing the same , 1 is from the radio school at cosford and the other is from the signals unit at leeming . Also the Mayor of Dingli is looking at my info and a maltese major who was instrumental in getting the present Radar dome up and running.
So again many thanks to DEE and everyone else who assisted me with this project.
  Kindest Regards
        Bill.

[gordimil]

Hi Bill 247. Caught your posting which appears to be 5 February 2012. Although not searching for the radar site, I am searching for another radio site nearby and one other near RAF Siggiewi. I notice you refer to a Maltese Major who helped set up the current radar. Is this by any chance Major Tony Abela, formerly RAF and then, I'm assuming, AFM. If so I have been trying to track him down without success for over eighteen months. Can you offer any assistance in that direction. The site I am researching was a radio relay link to Il Qortin in Gozo in the early to mid sixties and from vague memory was located in a single story building, I think between the current radar and the AMES unit. Your efforts have been appreciated as it is helping to narrow down the area which I am looking for.

Any assistance appreciated by myself and two others, in connection with a new website for RAF Siggiewi.

[bill247]

Hi Gordimil , got your post OK.
Your search for the person named is over and you have come to the right site.
I emailed him last night and received his reply this morning .
He tells me that the Radio Relay to Tal Qortin in Gozo was linked to the Isle of Wight here in the UK and was operational for a few years but had to close down due it interfering with a radio link in Paris.
The Single  Story building between the Radar and the Ames is correct .
He is Happy for me to give you his email , However i am very wary to give it out on this website .
His email does not contain his name in any form , However i would like my Moderator Mr Scrimnet to advice me if this would be OK unless you can come up with any other suggestions .
Mr Scrimnet , Your advice Please . The Gentlemans name is not on his email address .
I am in Glasgow Scotland , what is your location.        Regards Bill