I have been sent these photographs by Christine Moore, grand-daughter of Bill Deacon who is shown here second from right on the rear row. Christine reports that Bill volunteered for the RAF in 1939 and that this picture was taken in 1941. As he was required to do, Bill kept secret from his family what his work was until after the war had ended. Christine says that this crew was responsible for installation of all of the 21 East Coast CH stations. However, as it is known that the Marconi Company built the towers and that all the stations were completed, including Ventnor which was the last to be commissioned, before the war started, I wonder if the work Bill was referring to could have been the installation of the updated equipment which included the new 'curtain array' aerial system and hence much tower work? A dedicated web site exists regarding the construction of the towers. And of course there were many of the smaller "Buried Reserve" towers to be constructed too. Not that that made the work any the less demanding of course: Bill had tales to relate of the awful weather at Netherbutton in Orkney and exhausting journeys up and down the steel towers when the hazard lights just fitted failed to work and had to be replaced.
We should salute this doughty bunch - each one an unsung hero of those dark days.
Some of the team have thoughtfully provided their names on the rear of the first photo :-
Text © 2006 D.C.Adams