‘Darky’ …
When I joined the R.O.C. post at Loddon, sometimes at meetings wartime members would recall some of their wartime roles when Loddon was ‘Tare Three’ of 16 Group Norwich. It was the only ‘Darky’ post in the group.
Darky equipment included two poles 100 foot apart with the post in the middle, with a TR 9D high-frequency short-range radio; a simple transmitter/receiver working on 6,440 kHz with a range of about 10 miles. (Although once the post was in contact with an aeroplane over the Dutch coast).
If the aircraft was returning from a raid and lost, main radio not working, needed to land quickly with injured onboard or maybe a training aircraft lost. The pilot would call using his Darky set. The post would reply ‘hello neemo (all repeated) this is Darky over’. He would be asked to identify himself by flashing navigation lights, circling, or firing a coloured flare. Once identified and giving his call sign (i.e. ‘B’ Baker) the post would reply ‘Hello Koska B for Baker, steer 345 degrees 18 miles for Coltishall’. All this would be reported to centre and on to R.A.F. Coltishall, where the Loddon Post would send aircraft at night, en route; some R.O.C. Posts were equipped with searchlights, they would turn on the lights initially vertical to attract attention, then pointing toward Coltishall lower it to 45 degrees then depressed up to 45 degrees, then depressed three times. Pre-warned R.A.F. Coltishall would turn on a tripod of searchlights for a guide. As the aircraft neared the runway lights would be turned on. As soon as the aircraft had landed all lights would be turned off.
There were 200 surplus anti-aircraft command searchlights used by some R.O.C. Posts and to provide the tripod of light that selected R.A.F. Stations where they were known as R.A.C. lights until given the code name ‘Sandra’. If enemy aircraft were in the area R.O.C. Posts with G.L. Radar (gun laying) like Halesworth, their job would be to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft in the area, so posts and Coltishall with reports from other posts would know when to turn lights off then on.
By the end of the war, a figure of 7,000 aircraft were saved by Darky and Sandra and Granite which warned pilots of high ground by rockets, flares and radio transmitters.
In daylight ‘Darky’ still worked. The aircraft could still use their ‘Darky’ radio if lost, damaged, short of fuel etc. and included U.S.A.A.F. aircraft. The Post would ask them to circle, lower undercarriage etc. to identify themselves. The Loddon Post would then direct them to their home base or if urgent Seething Airfield who would have been warned by R.O.C. Centre in Norwich.
Another system, 24 hours of the day for an aircraft lost (into the 1960s as well) with ‘no radio’ would circle flash navigation lights or lower undercarriage. All R.O.C. Posts would be able to report this and a day or night fighter would be sent up to investigate and escort it to the nearest airfield.
1960/1 I lived at Forge House, Mundham. Seeing a friend from school days biking past I asked where he was going. David Roberts said I’m going to Seething Airfield, I’ve seen an aeroplane landing there, I’d also seen a Miles Messenger flying about in that direction.
I said words to the effect of ‘hang on I’ll show you the best way’. Must have been a Sunday otherwise I would have been at work. Using a byroad which was cut in two by the Seething Airfield when it was built we went on to the peri-track at the northeast end of the main runway.
This brought back memories of my last visit about two years earlier when it was under care and maintenance and there was no-one on this airfield except me. The doors to all the buildings were unlocked, so I went into the control tower, Ops room, air raid shelters, gun posts, kept away from the campsites as the Nissen huts were ‘council houses’. The last place I went that day was into the hangar near the control tower, just got inside and there was the sound of jets getting louder, ran outside to watch four Venoms with tip tanks do a mock attack on the airfield. Yes, it put the wind up me I recall; do I run? If so where do I hide? But I just stood on the spot and watched; as soon as they had arrived they had gone.
Back to David and I at the end of the runway. Looking along the north peri track was a new three aircraft hangar with a Tiger Moth and Messenger, a huge caravan and a few people about. Went up to them, one was Frank Clarke who was Beccles R.O.C. Post so I knew him. We introduced ourselves and asked if they needed any help. This offer was taken up for two willing young helpers. The jobs we took on, Sundays and Wednesday evenings were clearing rubbish off the runways and peri track with spades and shovels and then sweeping it clean.
Sometimes got the job of helping to refuel the aircraft which meant helping to push a 40-gallon drum upright and on a roller board out of the hangar to the aircraft with a fire extinguisher, funnel with a chamois filter. One of the men would stand on top of the Tiger Moth G-ANOH nose, I then would hand up the funnel, the nozzle on the end of the pipe, and when ready would use the two-way pump on top of the drum. When re-fuelled it was push the drum back with the funnel making sure it was always kept clean. The fuel tanks of the Messenger were in the wing.
The pilots, I recall, in these early days were Jimmy Hoseason (Hoseason Holidays) and Bob Stramik (a Pole). Now and again one of them would fly the Messenger and say ‘would you like to come for a flight’ didn’t have to be asked twice!
The first one was a flight over Loddon to the coast, Lowestoft up to Great Yarmouth and back over the Broads, all the time looking outside at the places we passed over and inside the cockpit and instruments. Coming into land lowering the flaps, the throttle, bumps as you flew over roads and buildings and the hedge at the end of the runway.
Other trips were to Tibenham when the clubhouse was in the old control tower (later demolished). Little Snoring (the McAlley’s Flying Group). Swanton Morley for a fly-in and visiting the Norfolk & Norwich Aero Club there. One day Roy Clarke, who lived at Denton and ran a company with Tiger Moth crop sprayers, said would anyone take the wages to my people at Rackheath, I’ll pay, this then meant a trip to Rackheath going over Poringland pylons and the City of Norwich, then to Rackheath, where we landed and taxied up to the tanker (water) and two Tiger Moths (one was G-APIG).
Went up a few times with Bob Stramik, a World War Two pilot. I recall a flight over the Broads area beating up holiday craft. Then he saw a couple of men fishing in the middle of a Broad (possibly Rockland), he throttled back, adjusted the flaps and came in behind them engine ticking over, then he opened up, did the flaps, I’m sure the rods went into the water, as we climbed away lower than treetop height I thought I felt a dudder, think this was the time Frank Clarke found a twig in the undercarriage.
One weekend, a Prentice G-ADKL from Biggin Hill, stayed at Seething. Before leaving from home on the Sunday, the pilot offered to give three of us a flight as a thank you for being allowed to leave the aircraft at Seething. David Roberts and I were joined by Mike Seeley (Loddon R.O.C. Post). To me, the Prentice looked a bit like a Stuka with the big cockpit and turned up wingtips. After taking off we headed for Ditchingham then Bungay, the pilot then demonstrated how much like a Stuka it was. David Roberts and I didn’t hear what was said. As the nose went down into a dive we left the seats returning to them when we pulled out of the dive. We then did some local flying. I recall the clear orange panel in the top of the cockpit to stop sun dazzle. This was now the 4th aircraft type I had flown in. The 3rd one being a Hasting at Coltishall 1961.
We, David and I, did work hard helping at Seething, clearing the runway, later a dispersal as well, refuelling, painting, make drinks in the caravan and getting ready for the fly-in, putting up the men’s loo. Wooden posts dug in the ground, with wooden framework a long metal trough in the loo on a framework heading outside to a deep hole that we had dug. Then we covered the sides (except the doorway) with a huge roll hessian (sack type material) a hammer and nail job. But with a clear sky on the fly in day the hessian became ‘see-through’ which caused a giggle or two.
For the fly- in the Loddon R.O.C. Post members volunteered to do admission, car parking and crowd control in uniform. It was a busy day. At the end of the day, all R.O.C. volunteers were given a flight in the Messenger as a thank you. We did this for about three years.
Author:: Huby Fairhead
Images mentioned above
Prentice G-ADKL waiting at end of NE-SW runway waiting for Messenger G-AILL to taxi up the runway
Prentice G-ADKL waiting at end of NE-SW runway waiting for Messenger G-AILL to taxi up the runway
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Great stories Huby. Thanks for sharing them with us.