Abstract of Arthur Allan GRAY, 2024
Item — Box: 45
Identifier: H03060002
Overview
H0306 Arthur Allan GRAY
Interviewer: Edith Ruddenklau
Date: 1 July 2007
Abstracter: April Milligan
Track 1
00.12 Recollecting time spent at a Radar Station during WW2. 1943/1944 at a Radar Station off FAREWELL SPIT, NELSON. Also time at SPIRITS BAY in MOUNT MANGANUI in the NORTH ISLAND and one at the CLARENCE RIVER, CANTERBURY.
01.06 Highly secret; everything was monitored and Staff were subject to Rules and Regulations. Letters could not be written directly home but were censored and went through WELLINGTON. Stations were fenced off with barbed wire and surrounded by a lot of land around to keep people away and heavily guarded. People working there couldn’t tell family or friends where they were or what they were doing.
02.15 It was the early stage of Radar which was highly secret. Information was channelled through to Group Headquarters in WELLINGTON where aircraft and shipping movements were plotted and monitored on big tables with a big map by the ARMY, NAVY and AIRFORCE Headquarters STAFF located Underground. Not known about at the time. Plotting showed changes minute to minute 24 hours a day.
03.45 Describing the Station – usually put on very high points overlooking large areas of the ocean to ensure a big visual sweep to identify unknown sightings to report back to headquarters. Mentions he didn’t plot any enemy activity himself but there were no reports back from movements sent to Headquarters. Air Force trained Operators usually manned the movements taking them off the screen to be coded before being sent by Radio Operators by Radio to Headquarters. Each ship or plane had to be given a specific code name as their movements were plotted. Often used flower names but weren’t allowed to make up a name. Sometimes lots of activity to plot and keep track of including any further additions not mixing up the codes.
08.03 Manned by 20-30 at each Station including cooks. Only occasionally mixed with the Locals, especially the TAKAKA people were very kind to us billeting us for functions; e.g. rugby matches.
09.33 Job continued for many years. At SPIRIT BAY, MOUNT MANGANUI, and ended up servicing big Hydro Electric Plants which provided the power for the Radar Stations.
10.15 Recalls being Posted Overseas 3 times had a farewell and then was kept back at Radar Station while his gear went off without him. Once at AUCKLAND his gear went away in a SUNDERLAND FLYING BOAT to GUADACANAL and his transport the next day was cancelled because the WAR was nearly over. (1945)
11.28 ARTHUR recalls goodwill and friendship with the boys on the Station. They went WHITEBAITING, FISHING off the rocks during time off. ARTHUR mentions being 18 (years) when called up. Became a Leading AIRCRAFTSMAN. No 413457. Also played 3rd CORNET in the NELSON AIRFORCE BAND (about 30 of us) sometimes Marching along the Street. Quite an experience but disappointed when he didn’t join cobbers Overseas. RADAR was the lifeblood of BRITAIN at the time. They pioneered using Radar from about 1941
END OF INTERVIEW
Interviewer: Edith Ruddenklau
Date: 1 July 2007
Abstracter: April Milligan
Track 1
00.12 Recollecting time spent at a Radar Station during WW2. 1943/1944 at a Radar Station off FAREWELL SPIT, NELSON. Also time at SPIRITS BAY in MOUNT MANGANUI in the NORTH ISLAND and one at the CLARENCE RIVER, CANTERBURY.
01.06 Highly secret; everything was monitored and Staff were subject to Rules and Regulations. Letters could not be written directly home but were censored and went through WELLINGTON. Stations were fenced off with barbed wire and surrounded by a lot of land around to keep people away and heavily guarded. People working there couldn’t tell family or friends where they were or what they were doing.
02.15 It was the early stage of Radar which was highly secret. Information was channelled through to Group Headquarters in WELLINGTON where aircraft and shipping movements were plotted and monitored on big tables with a big map by the ARMY, NAVY and AIRFORCE Headquarters STAFF located Underground. Not known about at the time. Plotting showed changes minute to minute 24 hours a day.
03.45 Describing the Station – usually put on very high points overlooking large areas of the ocean to ensure a big visual sweep to identify unknown sightings to report back to headquarters. Mentions he didn’t plot any enemy activity himself but there were no reports back from movements sent to Headquarters. Air Force trained Operators usually manned the movements taking them off the screen to be coded before being sent by Radio Operators by Radio to Headquarters. Each ship or plane had to be given a specific code name as their movements were plotted. Often used flower names but weren’t allowed to make up a name. Sometimes lots of activity to plot and keep track of including any further additions not mixing up the codes.
08.03 Manned by 20-30 at each Station including cooks. Only occasionally mixed with the Locals, especially the TAKAKA people were very kind to us billeting us for functions; e.g. rugby matches.
09.33 Job continued for many years. At SPIRIT BAY, MOUNT MANGANUI, and ended up servicing big Hydro Electric Plants which provided the power for the Radar Stations.
10.15 Recalls being Posted Overseas 3 times had a farewell and then was kept back at Radar Station while his gear went off without him. Once at AUCKLAND his gear went away in a SUNDERLAND FLYING BOAT to GUADACANAL and his transport the next day was cancelled because the WAR was nearly over. (1945)
11.28 ARTHUR recalls goodwill and friendship with the boys on the Station. They went WHITEBAITING, FISHING off the rocks during time off. ARTHUR mentions being 18 (years) when called up. Became a Leading AIRCRAFTSMAN. No 413457. Also played 3rd CORNET in the NELSON AIRFORCE BAND (about 30 of us) sometimes Marching along the Street. Quite an experience but disappointed when he didn’t join cobbers Overseas. RADAR was the lifeblood of BRITAIN at the time. They pioneered using Radar from about 1941
END OF INTERVIEW
Dates
- 2024
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The contents of Southland Oral History Project collections are subject to the conditions of the Copyright Act 1994. Please note that in accordance with agreements held with interviewees additional conditions regarding the reproduction [copying] and use of items in the Southland Oral History Project collections may apply. Please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator for further information at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Gray, Edith (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
