After a years work following the decision to establish a working Radio Station and WWII Radio Museum at the East Kirkby Aviation Heritage Centre in early 2004 the completed project undertaken by members of The Lincoln Short Wave Club was ready to be officially launched on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August 2005.
The “Topping Out” Ceremony took place in May and after a spot of fine tuning especially to the antenna systems (Resonant dipoles for the 20, 40 & 80 mtr bands and an AV640 vertical [kindly donated by Colin G3MUL]) the ˜Radio Room” was ready. We were all delighted when Mr Richard Todd OBE graciously agreed to do the honors.
Who better than Richard – a war veteran himself involved in the famous battle for Pegasus Bridge as a Lieutenant in the Parachute Regiment. As an actor after the war he played his commanding officer in ˜The Longest Day” a film dramatizing those ferocious battles in France but he is probably best known for his role as Wing Commander Guy Gibson in the superb 1950′s film production of ˜The Dam Busters”.
Sandwiched between taxing runs of Lancaster NX611 ˜Just Jane” and a stunning aerobatic display by Squadron Leader Paul Day RAF (Rt’d) in an East Kirkby based Mk 9 two seat Spitfire.
Richard kindly unveiled a beautifully crafted plaque commemorating the occasion, praised Fred & Harold Panton, the owners of the centre, for supporting yet another innovative venture at East Kirkby and spent some 30 minutes or so meeting members of the club whilst at the same time providing some great photo opportunities.
A big thank you to Richard Todd and also to Mick Cooper who helped to make it all happen. A great day for the Lincoln Short Wave Club, for the East Kirkby Aviation Heritage Centre and for Amateur Radio. The Radio Museum & Radio Station at the East Kirkby Aviation Heritage Centre; is the culmination of an idea suggested following a LSWC Special Event Station there in August 2001 inaugurating the call sign GB2CWP.
Other Special Event Stations were operated there on a temporary basis each year using the call sign GB2CWP, and it was agreed, by kind permission of Fred & Harold Panton, that a permanent station co-located with a radio museum would provide a focus for the important role communications played in WWII and at the same time provide a fitting and permanent tribute to Christopher Whitton Panton (hence GB2CWP) and his fellow airmen who lost their lives in the conflict.
The display cabinets that are located in the Radio Room at East Kirkby show the Radio Equipment that was used in the Second World War. This Airborne Radio cabinet shows all types of equipment that would have been carried on Bomber Command aircraft in general and the Lancasters in particular.
The Ground Radio Display shows the equipment that would have been used to communicate with the bomber force and also monitor enemy signals traffic. The Test Equipment cabinet shows the test equipment that would have been used to maintain the radio equipment used on the ground and airborne radio equipment.
Within the Lincoln Short Wave Club section of the Radio Room we have a working mock up of the radio section of the Lancaster with the T1154 Transmitter and the R1155 Reciever Also within the Lincoln Short Wave Club section we have a fully operational Amatuer Radio Station for HF and VHF which is activated periodicaly using the callsign GB2CWP.
Pictures of the Event can be found Here!!! and General Pictures taken at East Kirkby can be found Here!!!
