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.
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