Brian Waters
A former Leigh-on-Sea, Essex engineer in the very early days of Radio Essex talks about his experience and involvement
1. Bofors Gun & Radar Predictor on the Top House of a Naval Fort in 1943
After WWII a caretaker crew were left to guard and maintain the Thames Estuary Forts by 1958 they'd been totally abandoned by the MoD
Pillaged of useful parts and scrap, having brass portholes the Naval Forts fared worst than the Army Towers
2. GPO (General Post Office) Notice 15th September 1965
Audio |
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Brian
Waters recalls his involvement as an electrical mechanical engineer
in the early days of Radio Essex from the summer of 1965, on a boat
trip to the Knock John Fort in September 2017 |
3. Felixstowe Times 14th August 1965
4. The Knock John Naval Fort in 1966
5.
The collapsed Dolphin |
6.
Ready to board |
The Dolphins were a late addition hastily built in the final stages to aid supplying
7.
Climbing the rickety Dolphin |
8.
Climbing the rickety Dolphin |
Roy Bates had scaled Knock John to wrestle control from Radio City who'd left a small party of three guards and the modest equipment aboard
9.
Last stage crew hauled you aboard |
10.
Hauled up from above |
The remains of heavily corroded leg ladders had fallen away, so access was by the derelict Dolphin, 'gash' planks were placed over part of it's slopping superstructure
Northern leg top access hatch was sealed, making the Fort fairly secure from a retake by Radio City or others, the final 15 feet to the platform top involved the crew above hauling personnel up on a rope
11.
Dick Palmer 'dips' the Aircraft Fuel Tanks |
12.
The one & only Radio Essex Studio |
A Channel Airways Director, friend of Roy Bates & backer of Radio Essex of Southend supplied the fuel tanks
Fuel was man handled below by hand resulting in many spillages resulting in dangerous slippery floors at level A as the diesel dissolved the bituminous floors
Fort Captain & Senior Engineer Dick Palmer was to designed & build a gravity feed from car carburetors
13.
Channel Airways sign |
14.
Channel Airways Logo |
The private airline Channel Airways began as the East Anglian Flying Services in 1946 moving to Southend in 1947 by 1971 their fleet had grown to 25 aircraft they ceased trading in February 1972
15. A Channel Airways Bristol 170 Freighter MK21E at Southend (Romford) Airport SEN/EGMC in August 1965 (Dave Welch)
16. Channel Airways Vickers-Vicount 701 at Southend (Romford) Airport SEN/EGMC in 1965 (Dave Welch)
See more superb Channel Airways Photographs by Dave Welch
17.
North 3.7" Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun |
18.
South 3.7" Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun |
The Radio Essex antenna was initially lashed from the radar top house to the Southern elevated Gun
19.
3.7" Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun with attached antenna feed |
20.
Ships mast antenna arrangement |
Various other arrangements were made to the Radio Essex jury rigged antenna, one using a heavy wooden boat mast & slung between a pair of scaffold poles
21.
Roy Bates |
22.
Roger Scott & Roy Bates |
23. Leaving Knock John
Thanks to Bernard for sharing his memories, Dick Palmer, Dave Phillips, David Welch & Francois Lhote for their help in this feature
For a brief history of all the Thames Estuary Forts see Fort Fax