AFN-Europe
In row of the Allied Military senders in spring 1945,Start Point-UK during invasion of Normandie era,
Luxembourg site, and
Reichssender Stuttgart Muehlacker MW station
lodged also
AFN American Forces Network Stuttgart 100 kW tx on 1061/1106 kHz
from June 3rd, 1945 til October 1962.
Reichssender Stuttgart Muehlacker on MW 833/574 kHz, 60 / 2x100 kW,
opened 21 Nov 1930, blown up by German SS troops on April 6, 1945.
73 wolfie df5sx
wwdxc
From July 2004:
Start Point's Special Role Following D Day.
The D Day memorial sces and celebrations were of particular interest to
me. I live near Slapton Sands, where the Americans did most of their
training for 6 June 1944.
I was, however, a little disappointed that there was no mention of Start
Point Transmitting Station in any of the reports, especially by the BBC.
Start Point played an important role in the Normandy landings and for many
months afterwards.
I joined the BBC Transmitter Department at Start Point in 1943 as a Youth
in Training Transmitters (YT) at the age of 15.
Start Point was designed and built in 1939, before the war, to radiate the
then Western Programme on a freq of 1050 kHz, using a 100 kW Standard
Telephone & Cable (ST&C) type C100. The aerial system was two 450-foot
lattice mast radiators; the Northern mast was the radiator and the
Southern a reflector. This gave good coverage for all the West Country and
the Southern part of England.
When I arrived at Start Point, there were two txs, the Original ST&C
operating on either medium wave or short wave, the other a 50 kW Marconi
type SWB18, on short wave. All sces radiated the European Service on
appropriate aerial systems.
When the second front became imminent in May 1944, the ST&C transmitter
was closed down. We didn't know exactly why, but we could guess that it
was something to do with the forthcoming second front landings. Start
Point Medium Wave Transmitter was chosen because of its locality. The
functions of the mast radiators were to be swapped over, the South mast
was to be used as the radiator and the North a reflector, this was to
transmit across the channel to France.
The tx power was increased from the originally designed 100 to 180 kW.
This was quite an engineering feat. It required the four output stage
water cooled valves (4030C) to be increased to eight by using the spares;
subsequently other spare components were brought into sce to avoid
overheating.
On the completion of setting up the tx, we were told that it was in
readiness for transmitting a forces programme to the second front. It was
on standby for many weeks, closed down until D Day plus 2 when we had one
of those urgent priority messages to transmit this Forces programme.
The Programme was the Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme (AEFP). I
remember it being a bright and cheerful opening and directed to all the
armed forces taking part in the landings. There were three main bands, the
British Band of the AEF, the American Band of the AEF (Glen Miller) and
the Canadian Band of the AEF. Dance mx in plenty, light entertainment,
comedy, war reports and nx were the main ingredients.
It was a jolly good mixture of English, American and Canadian programmes.
It transmitted for almost 24 hours a day with maybe a short break at night
for essential maintenance. Occasionally coded information was transmitted
in the way of innocent prose.
As for myself I continued on shift work listening and enjoying this
uplifting cheerful AEF programme for a few months before being sent to
Maidavale and Droitwich on the Technical Assistance A1-B1 courses. On my
return to Start Point, I was put on night shift immediately. All hands
were needed to change freq from 1050 to 583 kHz to increase the ground
wave range to keep up with the allies advancing into France and Germany.
This change in freq had to be done in one night because the troops were
informed that we were changing the freq on the next day and to re-tune to
receive their AEF programme. I do remember that night vividly, more
adjustments to coils and capacitors within the transmitters and ATHs
[Aerial Tuning Huts]. We finished about 6 am just in time for the arranged
start up, indeed we were all very weary, as it was a very hot night.
Start Point was the only tx that transmitted the AEF programme from the
UK. However, much later as the allies advance progressed, relay stations
were used, receiving Start Point and re-transmitting from mobile low power
txs positioned in France and Germany. The sce continued until the
cessation of hostilities in Europe.
(By Stuart Frost. Retired engineer-in-charge, Start Point. This article
appeared in Prospero (newspaper for retired BBC staff) in July 2004; via
Dave Porter via Mike Barraclough-UK, WDXC-UK Contact Aug 2004)
and also gain in 2006
<http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/transmitter_ops/Reminiscences/Reminisce
nces.htm>
1050 / 583 kHz, 180 kW Start Point's special role following D Day.
By Stuart Frost. Retired engineer-in-charge, Start Point.
This article appeared in Prospero (newspaper for retired BBC staff) in
July 2004.
The D Day memorial sces and celebrations were of particular interest to
me. I live near Slapton Sands, where the Americans did most of their
training for 6 June 1944.
I was, however, a little disappointed that there was no mention of Start
Point Transmitting Station in any of the reports, especially by the BBC.
Start Point played an important role in the Normandy landings and for many
months afterwards.
[...]
Start Point was the only tx that transmitted the AEF programme from the
UK. However, much later as the allies advance progressed, relay stations
were used, receiving Start Point and re-transmitting from mobile low power
txs positioned in France and Germany. The sce continued until the
cessation of hostilities in Europe.
<http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/transmitter_ops/Reminiscences/start_poi
nt.htm>
List of Reminiscences:
Approximately in chronological order.
Brookmans Park - Pictures and Memories - Peter Gutteridge
Start Point's special role following D Day - Stuart Frost
Just Another TA Recruit - Gordon Williams
Life at Woofferton 1961-1995 - Eileen Briggs
New: Memories of Ascension - Phil Brooks
and more Ascension pictures - David Dunmall
Collapse of ITA Emley Moor mast on 19 March 1969 - James F Middlemiss
The Channel Islands ferry story - Keith Hayler
(March 2006)
From: Alan Pennington via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2023 11:21 AM
To: bdxc-news@groups.io
Subject: Re: [bdxc-news] History - 70 years ago in wartime AFN Europe in the
UK was launched.
4th July 1943 is actually 80 years ago today (not 70)!
It's the date the American Forces Network (AFN) was established (not just
AFN Europe):
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3447324/80-years-of-broadcasting-excellence/73 Alan
On Tue, Jul 4, 2023 at 10:13 AM, Mike Terry wrote:
(Prior to its decades of post war broadcasts on medium wave from Germany -
Mike)
Radio Magazine on Facebook
3 July 2023
GREAT BRITAIN 70 years ago AFN Europe was launched.
During the war, the AFRS created in London "American Forces Radio Service in
London" aimed at covering the various US bases spread over the British
islands: England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The network began airing on July 4, 1943 from the BBC studios. AFN London
moved very quickly to 11 Carlos Place and then to 80 Portland Place.
London's AFN had 31 medium wave stations, all at 50 watts. All broadcasted
on the frequencies of 1375, 1402, 1411, 1420 and 1447 kHz.
In addition to the productions done on site, some of the programs consisted
of AFRS broadcasts transported on the strip from the United States.
The idea for a mobile radio station was first conceived by Major Francis Mc
Aloon in North Africa in early 1943. Shortly after Allied troops invaded
Italy in southern Naples, the radio station began airing. This first mobile
station had been made mainly from equipment captured by the Germans and
Italians.
Based on this conclusive experience, AFRS, preparing to disembark, began to
produce large-scale mobile stations.
The mobile stations consisted of two trucks carrying a studio, a
transmitter, antenna and an electrical group. The transmitter, with a power
of 50 watts, was designed to have a broadcast radius of about 80 km,
standing at a high point.
In parallel with AFN broadcasts, Americans in Europe teamed up with the BBC
and Radio Canada to form the AEF radio service: The Allied Expeditionary
Forces program was broadcast on average waves of 583 kHz from 6 June 1944,
the day of landing up to July 28, 1945.
13 June 1944 Allied Expeditionary Forces Program - AEFP launched at 1050 kHz
In February 1945, the Allied Forces Radio (AEFP) exploded to let every army
have its transmitters.
The ABSIE (American Broadcasting Station in Europe), also known as the
Stripes Network: It was installed in the old AFN 11 Studios Carlos Place and
used the transmitter sites at Moorside Edge, Westerglen and Rampisham were
used on 977 and 1122 kHz with 50 kW powers. The broadcast began on April 30,
1944 and eventually disappeared on July 4, 1945.
AFN London also made a short appearance on short waves in July 1945 on 6080
and 8565khz with 100kw.
After the war, the AFN stopped all activities in Great Britain.
#AFN #AFRTS #USA #WWII #London #radio #AMBroadcasting #media #BBC
#CBCworldwide
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