12 Days of Radar – Day Six

It took the work of many people to keep the radar station at RAF Bawdsey functioning. While the radar operators had a vital role in interpreting the signals given by enemy aircraft, mechanics worked tirelessly to keep the technology working. One such mechanic was David Harrison, who was stationed at Bawdsey in the 1950’s. The receivers relied on a mercury strip in a glass tube, which, on windy days, accumulated at one end causing issues with the equipment.

David remembered, on a windy day in 1953, being asked to climb 190ft up the tower in a night-time gale to move the mercury back into place. David and his colleague, Flight Sergeant Ted Lawrence were understandably relieved when, having fixed the equipment, they were able to climb back down the tower to the safety of the receiver block. More of David’s story can be found here: https://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/david-harrison-factsheet.pdf