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WW2 Naval Communication Centre  
United Kingdom

Reports1
First reportNovember 13 2020
by Orkney_exploration



Royal Navy communication Centre
by Orkney_exploration on November 13 2020 22:18 hr CE(S)T   Shortlink to this report: [ https://urbx.be/efmz ]

Finding out the location
  very easy
Access
  easy
Safety
  safe
Risk of being seen
  low
General condition of the place
  good
Traces of vandalism
  few
Good place for taking pictures?
  good
Did you see other people?
  none or very few


Visit date    August 13 2020 at 18 hr
Visit duration    2 hours


Extending over two floors, the naval communication centre is a vast maze of rooms and corridors. The structure is largely windowless with only a few large windows on the west elevation, and a row of nautical portholes on the north side. Many of the operators from the Women's Royal Navy Service (WRNS) popularly known as "Wrens" noted that working inside the dark and gloomy bunker was like working in the depths of a ship. 

Just months after opening, the facility was plunged into a sudden hive of activity as the German Battleship Scharnhorst based in Altafjord in the far north of Norway attempted to prey on the Allied Arctic Convoys aiding the Soviet Union. For the British, the Russian bound Arctic convoy JW 55B was acting as the bait to lure out Germany's last operational battleship into a pitched battle against ships of the far larger Home Fleet. The trap worked and the Scharnhorst was forced into an all-out gun dual with HMS Duke of York, essentially crippling the Scharnhorst before sinking from a salvoe of torpedos from the accompanying destroyers 

Inside the depths of this communication centre, snippets of news from the battle was received via wireless. The first signal received was from the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk, exclaiming they had been hit. An air of elation and mixed apprehension was felt by the signal operators as the battle unfolded over 1000 miles to the North. Despite all the christmas festivities, the Wrens were reluctant to go off duty until the battle was over. Many of the Wrens were later invited onboard to celebrate the victory. 

Today the centre is an eerie hollow shell. It takes serious determination to explore this huge structure, alone and in near total darkness with pigeons fluttering in all directions. Once you reach the bottom floor you soon realise it's all worth it; coat hooks, ventilation ducting and fans, stoves and even a desk can still be admired.

  Text and photos are by Orkney_exploration. Click here to see Orkney_exploration's profile and other reports.

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