RAF Stoke Holy Cross

The Camp sign. (Pic. Copyright Evelyn Simak).

The signs are currently on display at the

Neatishead Radar Museum.

Aerial view of the Radar Station situated where the existing communications towers are presently sited off Poringland Road. This picture was taken in the summer 1941.

This collection of pictures are a supplement to all other Web sites on this subject of which there are many. Search "RAF Stoke Holy Cross" on the Web for comprehensive coverage.

On this picture;-A The four wooden receiving towers (in Chandler Road).B The four steel sending towers.

C The site of the bomb damage 9th.May 1942.

D The site of Octagon Farm destroyed on 9th.May 1942.

This picture ,dated late 1943, shows B24-Liberators-, with P47 -Thunderbolts- as escorts,

on their way back to Flixton airfield. Known as the 'Bungay Buckeroos'.

For more details go to www.aviationmuseum.net/446bg.htm (Pic. USAAF).

"The Gang" working on the towers. Most were from the north and the Glasgow area. Locals are ;- 1st.left front row Bert Brock, centre front row Arthur Bright, next right Jack Goodey. Back row 1st. left George Whybrow, 2nd. left Cyril Woods, 4th.right Clive Chamberlain.

1938 and the wooden receiving towers are being constructed. (Pic.Derek Bales).

A brief history of Radar and Stoke 'pylons' by Ralph Woods. Click here.

This picture taken in January 1939 shows 3 of the 4 wooden receiving towers.

The fourth tower appears to be under construction in the background. (Pic. Charles Bussey).

Construction of the wooden towers 1938-39. George Wybrow,

lodged with the King family at Trolla Row. He was killed in a

car accident returning to the North of England Christmas 1939.

(Pic D. Bales).

The steel transmitting towers under construction in 1938/39. (Pic. Derek Bales ).

In the early hours of 9th.May 1942 the Luftwaffe dropped some 62 high explosive bombs on Stoke Holy Cross and a further 64 bombs landed on Caistor Saint Edmund and Poringland.

The raid was intended to be on Norwich. But the aircraft were led off target by decoy flares etc . and most bombs fell harmlessly in open country. Part of the Baedecker Raids a more comprehensive coverage of the "The Raid that Misfired" can be read in the publication (Halsgrove) " A Shattered City" by Steve Snelling. Included are accounts by local residents;- Derek Bales, Daphne Riches, Russell Hindle, Alfred Shearing and the Rev. William Chandler, who , as air raid warden, plotted the craters shown on the map .

Map showing where bombs fell.

(Pic. Derek Bales).

Click here to read about the do's and don'ts during an air raid.

Bomb damage to houses (Valley Farm) in Chandler Road , 9th. May 1942.

(Pic. Charles Bussey ).

The Home Guard filling the holes and looking for UXB's at Vaunoo.

Still time to pose for the camera - a well earned break.

Pieces of bomb casings recovered in 2013.

( loaned by Derek Bales & Ray Noble).

One aircraft was brought down during that raid and the wreckage is pictured in a field at West Green Farm. The crew, pictured right, were all killed.

(Pic. S. Snelling)

Click here to see a more comprehensive story under Poringland - Dornier Crash 1942.

(Pic. Derek Bales)

Listening in . RAF staff at work in the Control room in early 1940.

Staff quarters and a hospital were situated on Long Road, Framingham Earl.

18th.JULY 1942. A sad day in the history of the "Pylons". A Blenheim IV aircraft hit one of the towers and the following pictures show the resultant damage.

All on board were killed. Later another aircraft clipped one of the towers but managed to land safely.

A Blenheim IV similar to the one that hit the tower.

An example exists at Duxford.

Further information CLICK HERE

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Bill Osborne, professional speedway rider, with Walthamstow and West Ham, served at RAF Stoke Holy Cross during the war. (Pic. D. Bales).

Cpl. Doug Pearl who arrived at RAF Stoke Holy Cross early in the war. ( For his account while at the camp click here).

(Pic. The Pearl Family).

Evelyn (Lyn) Harvey pictured during her service at the site.

Some of her comrades helping with the harvest at Blackford Hall farm.L-R;- ..???..Isobel Fish, Vic Hewitt ,Molly Adamson, Monica King, Milton..?..(USAAF), Elizabeth Sullivan and Evelyn Harvey.14th March 1943.

Above;- Mr. King, Evelyn Harvey, Isobel Fish, Molly Adamson, and Vic Hewitt.

Farmer Mr. King, Molly Adamson, Monica King, Elizabeth Sullivan.

Monica King and Elizabeth Sullivan.

Monica King.

Evelyn Harvey and Elizabeth Sullivan.

Among the names here are ;- Phyllis Bennett, Maisie Bennett, Monica King, Elizabeth Sullivan, Molly Adamson, Evelyn Harvey, Vic Hewitt, Ivan Closs. All Pictures Evelyn (lyn) Humphreys ).

The wedding of Douglas Cook-Martin and Jean Wagstaff both serving at R.A.F. Stoke Holy Cross.

The date 19th. April 1945 at Framingham Pigot church, conducted by The Rev. P. Walker.

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A unique picture showing all eight towers in 1949. Between the steel sending towers are the suspended cables which transmitted the radar grid.This formed an electrical 'fishing net' in the sky and, when broken by an aircraft, would be detected by the receiving towers in the background. (Pic. copyright F. Elliott ).

Looking up one of the steel towers as they were in 1949. (Pic. copyright F. Elliott ).

Frederick pictured at the base of one of the wooden towers in 1949.

(Pic. copyright F.Elliott).

Sitting down , and with a birds eye view over Poringland, is operator Frederick Elliott.

(Pic. copyright F. Elliott).

Frederick was posted to RAF Stoke Holy Cross when he was called up for National Service in 1949, aged 18 years. Frederick remembers that the towers were 360 feet high and there were 420 ladder rungs to the top. They also swayed 6 feet in high winds.

See also Long Road, Framingham Earl

The control console, above, where Frederick Elliott, as Radar Technician ,would be sat in front of. This was adjacent and connected to the twin electrical distribution drive station cabinets, one half of which is shown on the right.

This was all high voltage , low amp system, but enough to give you a kick like a mule if you didn't follow earthing procedures when operating switches..

(Pic's. copyright F.Elliott).