Y-stations

Y-stations were British Signals Intelligence collection sites initially established during World War I [ [http://antiqueradios.com/chrs/journal/intelligence.html Y-stations in World War I] ] and later used during World War II. These sites were operated by a range of agencies including the Army, Navy and RAF plus the Foreign Office (MI6 and MI5), General Post Office and Marconi Company receiving stations ashore and afloat.

The "Y" stations tended to be of two types, Interception and Direction Finding sometimes both functions were operated at the same site with the direction finding (D/F) hut being a few hundred meters away from the main interception building because of the need to minimise interference. These sites collected traffic which was then either analysed locally or, if encrypted, passed for processing initially to Admiralty Room 40 in London and during World War II to the Government Code and Cypher School established at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.

In World War II a large house called "Arkley View" on the outskirts of Barnet acted as a data collection centre at which traffic was collated and passed to Bletchley Park, it also acted as a "Y" station with. Many Ham radio operators supported the work of the "Y" stations by being enrolled as "Voluntary Interceptors". Much of the traffic intercepted by the "Y" stations was recorded by hand and sent to Bletchley on paper by motorcycle couriers or, later, by teleprinter over post office land lines. [Nicholls, J., (2000) "England Needs You: The Story of Beaumanor Y Station World War II" Cheam, published by Joan Nicholls]

The term was also used for similar stations attached to the Intelligence Corps' India outpost, the Wireless Experimental Centre (W.E.C.) outside Delhi.

Y-station sites in the United Kingdom

* Beachy Head, Sussex
*Beaumanor Hall, near Loughborough, Leicestershire
* Beeston Bump, Beeston Regis, Norfolk
*Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=8444147&CATLN=6&Highlight=%2CBISHOPS%2CWALTHAM&accessmethod=0&Summary=True |title=The National Archives - Piece details HW 50/82 |accessdate=2008-05-10 ]
* RAF Canterbury, Kent
* Cheadle, Staffordshire
* RAF Chicksands, Bedfordshire
* RAF Clophill, Bedfordshire
* Cromer, Norfolk
* Cupar, Fife
* Met Office Dunstable, Bedfordshire
* Felixstowe, Suffolk
* Gilnahirk, Belfast
* Gorleston, Norfolk
* Army Harpenden, Hertfordshire
* HMS Flowerdown, Winchester, Hampshire
* HMS Forest Moor, Harrogate, Yorkshire
* Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
* RAF Kingsdown, Hollywood Manor, West Kingsdown, Kent
* Foreign Office Knockholt, Kent
* Army Markyate, Hertfordshire
* North Walsham, Norfolk
* Foreign Office Sandridge, Hertfordshire
* Saxmundham, Suffolk
* Army Shenley Hertfordshire
* South Walsham, Norfolk
* Southwold, Suffolk
* Stockland Bristol Nr Bridgwater, Somerset
* Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland
* RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Beeston Bump “Y” Station

During the Second World War Beeston Bump was the location of one of the top secret listening stations. The concrete remnants of this top secret facility can still be seen on the summit of the hill. The remains consist of an octagonal concrete base that measure 3850mm across with a channel running west to east across the middle on the southern edge of the octagon is a raised area of concrete which is 225mm higher than the rest of the base. Around the edge of the octagon are the remnants of what was one a reinforced parapet which has long been removed. There are also sign of a fletton brick wall running westward away from the raised area. During an episode of BBC 1’s series “Coast” [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/coast/programmes3/07_kings_lynn_felixstowe.shtml BBC - Coast ] ] a lady by the name of Joy Hale was interviewed by the presenter Hermione Cockburn. Joy Hale had been a WREN during the war and had been an operator at the “Y” station on the summit of Beeston Bump.

References

External links

* [http://www.garatshay.org.uk/yservices.htm Y-Services] - Garats HaY
* [http://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/index/education/community_activities/community_residential_services/beaumanorpark/beaumanor_park_y_station.htm Beaumanor Park] - Leicestershire
* [http://www.bletchleypark.org Bletchley Park] - Official Website
* [http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm?articleId=1068192 Diagram of Y-station communications] - Churchill Article
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/peoples_war/beds_secret_war.shtml#code Chicksands in WW2] - BBC 3CR
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/events/conference/2003/west.asp Bomber Command 'Y'] - AWM
* [http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/d.f.j.wood/thesis_app2.htm Intelligence Sites] - DFJ Wood