MHG47793 - Bower, Composite Signals Organisation (c.s.o.s.), Administration No.3 Site
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- SIGNALS GATHERING STATION (20th Century - 1901 AD to 2000 AD)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
NMRS Report: (17/11/2004)
ND26SW 61.02 23651 62960
Bower Signals Station site No.3 which incorporated the administration block and Wren's quarters. This site formed part of the original Admiralty Wireless Intercept 'Y' Station used to intercept U-Boat transmissions during WWII.
The Wren's quarters are still extant on the S side of the road as is the security fence around the administration block. The administration block has been cleared of military equipment and redeveloped and the site is now in use for a building and joinery business.
The station was taken over by GCHQ during 1967 and closed in 1978.
The administration block and Wren's quarters are visible on RAF vertical air photographs (106G/Scot/UK 75, 4408-4409, flown 9 May 1946).
Information from Defence of Briatin Project form (Mr A Gutteridge), 1986 and 1999 and RCAHMS (DE), November 2004 <1>
Some photographs of the buildings of this complex were forwarded to the HER, by Martin Briscoe, in September 2010.
It was suggested by someone locally that the chainlink fence on the South East side of the modern building company could be original. <2>
Marked as Government Communications Radio Station on OS mastermap. <3>
Part of the direction finding station at Bower. The main Rx site is located to the NE (see MHG47791). <4>
The station was set up by the Royal Navy to locate the source of German radio transmissions, by triangulating with other similar stations around the U.K. in Greenland. Its operation was taken over in 1967 by GCHQ who continued to expand its operations here throughout the cold war. The station closed in 1977. The main compound has now been cleared and is in use as a warehouse. <5>
Sources/Archives (6)
- --- SHG23236 Text/Publication/Article: Guttridge, A.. 2002. WW2 Defences in Caithness - Part 2, Air Defences (from Caithness Field Club Vol.6, No. 6, April 2002) 2002. Guttridge, A. Caithness Field Club.. Paper (Copy).
- <1> SHG24123 Dataset: RCAHMS. 02/2008. Annual update from Canmore. Digital. 268069.
- <2> SHG23810 Image/Photograph(s): Briscoe, J M. 2008-11. Information and photographs of various sites submitted by Martin Briscoe. Colour. Yes. Digital.
- <3> SHG23361 Image/Map: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Mastermap. Digital. XY
- <4> SHG24799 Verbal Communication: Carey, G. 2010-2011. Comment by Giles Carey, HER Officer.
- <5> SHG23236 Text/Publication/Article: Guttridge, A.. 2002. WW2 Defences in Caithness - Part 2, Air Defences (from Caithness Field Club Vol.6, No. 6, April 2002) 2002. Guttridge, A. Caithness Field Club.. Paper (Copy). p.24.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 23652 62972 (115m by 144m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND26SW |
| Civil Parish | BOWER |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/268069 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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