RAF AMES 504 Dingli Cliff Malta

[gordimil]

Many many thanks. I hadn't expected a reply this quickly.

Information there that I did not know about the unit's demise so the start of another learning curve. I was fairly confident that I had worked out the location judged from a photo on the net. Surprising how some things changed, but some not. Main reason for contact requirement was regarding a HF direction finding station which as far as we can determine was in the fields near RAF Siggiewi, which as far as we can determine ceased operation around 1960. There are those of us who believe that these old stations, wherever they may have been, should have a far more evident history, readily accessible to all.

Nothing to do with war memories but actual fact. They existed, human beings worked there and therefore someone may want to know about them. Some to trace ancestors. Some to 'bury ghosts'. Currently the reason for the search is probably the latter. We just can't pin it down. You must know what it's like.

Currently I am residing in the High Wycombe Buckinghamshire area, my last posting having been to HQ Strike Command, as was, at Walters Ash. Ex directory but if you are an amateur radio operator registered on qrz.com or with the RSGB, my call sign is M0GGW, if that's permitted on this posting.

Once again many thanks for your efforts.

[DeeBoneham]

Glad to see that there are answers coming out of the woodwork for this one after all this time! 

[GrahamSimons]

If you can get to Kew, the Operations Record Book is available (in the original, not even microfilmed!) at the National Archives:

Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Operations Record Books, Miscellaneous Units  AIR29/180 504 Air Ministry Experimental Station (AMES). Formed in the UK then moved to Malta in November 1940.  Covered dates: 1940 Aug.-1944 July with appendices.

[bill247]

Hi Gordimil ,  Thanks for your post and a pleasure to assist if i can.
I have just sent another Email to the person about the HF DF Unit at RAF Siggiewi and will contact you when i get a reply .
Yes , It can be frustrating at times trying to research things from way back  as i am going further back than yourself .
I have just almost spent three and a Half yrs on the RAF No 504 DF AMES Radar Unit on which my Late Dad served on in WW2 on Malta . The person and the Mayor of Dingli have been of great assistance as has been 3 ex RAF personnel who served on Radar at Dingli in the 1950's and at present i have a W.O. from the RAF Radio school at Cosford and a Sgt from the Signals Unit at RAF Leeming looking at all the Info to try and if possible confirm the location of this Radar Unit .
As for me i am almost 60 and a Hospital Theatre Recovery Assistant looking after Local Anaesthetic patients after Surgery which i have done for 35 yrs.
Will be in touch when i have a reply .
              C. U     Bill

[bill247]

Hi, Bill from Glasgow again and i have had a reply from Tony .
It Reads  " No i do not know that D F  as i joined the RAF in January 1961.
The only VHF DF stations i know is the one at TA-KALI in 1961 and another at Luqa till

[bill247]

Hi Bill again, Sorry i pressed the send button by mistake . I will try again to send the info as i have it from Tony received today at Lunchtime.
 " No i do not remember that DF as i joined the RAF in January 1961 .
The only D F stations that i know is the VHF DF at Ta -KALI in 1961and at Luqa another VHF DF till 1979.  Both were referred to as CRDF . A UHF  DF was at Luqa Till 1979 referred to as a CADAF .
There was another DF at Dingli during  the 1960's .
Regret i cannot help with the one near Siggiewi " .
Well Gordimil , thats the info i have from Tony .
Regret i can also be of no assistance to you as it's the Radar Unit No 504 which was a Chain Overseas Low Unit which if you look at the Radar Pages you can see if you go to the COL Page abd look at the Type No 2 which overseas was a Type 5 with slight modifications as the Antenna  was only 70 Ft and not 180 Ft .
    Best of luck with the  new RAF SIGGIEWI website , I will keep an eye open for it.
              Bill

[bill247]

Hi Dee,  Yes at long last .
Thanks to info from yourself and others which as you may have read include Major Tony Abela and Major Stanley Clews , Mr Borg ( Mayor of Dingli Malta )  Mr Frederick Galea from the Aviation Museum at Ta Kali , The Chief Archivist at the Maltese Archives in Rabat all from Malta  . the 3 ex RAF personnel here in the UK who served at Dingli in the 1950's  Jo Dansie from the British Library who sent me some maps which were a bit earlier but useful  Flt Lt Mary Hudson from the RAF Air Historical Branch  and Lauren Woodard from the RAF Museum London who sent me the photo's of the Area at Dingli  , Roy Bullers and Mr Hewlett from the Radar Defence Museum at Neatishead , Norfolk and the present RAF Wo from RAF Cosford and the RAF Sgt from RAF Leeming who are looking at the information to try to confirm the site .
I know Dee that i Will never be able to say that My Late Dad's Radar stood on that  particular  spot in a field but we now have the Field and area at Dingli where it stood so that is the massive bonus .
So Dee , Thanks again for your input .
     Best Wishes .
          Bill.

[bill247]

Hi Graham, Thanks for your post to this site .
I managed to get to KEW last August for the day while on holiday in Bournemouth and what a place .
Had a good read at  the No 504 RDF DF Stations Operation Records which gave a lot of information which i did not know about as my Dad was on that station from it's formation till he left Malta for Egypt in May 1943.
However it does not give you the exact location ,  But it does give you a lot of pointers to where it stood and with the help of the Air Ministry 1941 map which i received from Mr Charles Farrugia ( Chief Archivist ) at the Archives in Rabat Malta and  along with a few others have managed to locate the area and field that Dad's Radar stood in which after almost 4 yrs of trying to find any info on the net or otherwise was a massive bonus.
Again Graham, Thanks for the input which is very much appreciated .
      Kindest Wishes.
             Bill.

[gordimil]

Hi Bill. Thanks for the message and glad to see you have a location for the 504. I haven't given up completely for the HF DF as around 1963/4, although not in operation, the building was used by RAF amateur radio operators based at Siggiewi. Someone out there knows its location, and hopefully through various sites and other contacts we may be as successful as yourself. Is there any way you might be able to post a map/satellite location for the 504 for other interested parties to see?

Regards