Harwell Box aircraft simulators

[buccaneer66]

Can anyone describe what a Harwell Box aircraft simulator is actually like as the Desborough veteran I'm going to chat with was in charge of these as well as all the signals equipment & it would be nice to know before I see him what it was he actually worked with?

Chris

[REF]

http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?2722-Harwell-Boxes-What-were-they

[buccaneer66]

Thanks Rich I did a search but that thread didn't come up.

[P Bellamy]

I've posted a photo of a Harwell Box (with USAAF radio equipment in this case) in the first post in the Toome thread (http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?3480-Toome).

A friend of mine has built a replica to the original RAF design, I believe he's registered as 50sqnwop/ag on here.

All the best,
PB

[buccaneer66]

Thats very useful I'll print those of and take with me thanks Paul.

[andrewayers]

http://i364.photobucket.com/albums/oo90/andrewayers/harwellccheriton.jpg

[andrewayers]

http://i364.photobucket.com/albums/oo90/andrewayers/harwellboxfront.jpg harwell building carew now i think demolished for ring road

[50sqnwop/ag]

havent been on here in ages.......! so did the old boy have anything interesting to say about the 'horrible boxes' ?

[buccaneer66]

Not managed to see him yet he had to go into hospital last time I had arranged to see him.

[50sqnwop/ag]

oh right, yeah not the best time of year for old people and their health... hope he gets better soon.....

So was he a sgt or cpl i/c of the boxes on an operational or training station?

would have been interesting to meet him aswell (could have showed him my box of tricks, but thankfully I just escaped your neck of the woods ;-)

I will hopefully be taking my harwell to newark cockpit fest, all things being well......

[buccaneer66]

He was a sgt at the time later going further up the ladder so to speak.
He only lives just off the A1 at Colsterworth near North Witham I'll be going back again in a couple of months & his son siad he later went on to work with Bloodhounds and few erm other things.

[50sqnwop/ag]

If he wants to have a look at my replica box let me know......

My gt uncle did his WOP trade bashing up that way at Cottesmore n North Luffenham on hampdens n wimpys

keep me in the loop

cheers

[buccaneer66]

I'll ask himwhen I see him & I think North Luffenham was also one of the many stations he served at.

[50sqnwop/ag]

have you spoken to the old boy laterly? Cockpitfest is on 18th/19th if he wanted to have a ganders?

[buccaneer66]

I haven't but I'll give him a call.

[50sqnwop/ag]

met a 98yr old ex Wop/ag from 49sqn at CPF who also was an instructor on harwells... made my weekend.

[Richard Drew]

There was a series on BBC4 called Rubicon. I was enjoying it but due to the fickleness of the American viewing public it was cut and the last few episodes were not made. My point here is that they were a US intelligence agency and their computer room was inside a Harwell Box cage.

[I](Thw use of word US intelligence and British Army Intelligence are OXYMORON'S!)


Richard

[Carnaby]

T... their computer room was inside a Harwell Box cage.
It would be a Faraday Cage, Richard, to keep external EMI out, but possibly in this case to prevent external snoopers with clever equipment picking up radiation from the computers.

[Richard Drew]

Well I was close thanks. I was very disappointed when the program was pulled.
www.atlantikwall.co.uk (http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/)

Atlantikwallupdates Blog (http://wwwatlantikwallcouk..........com/)

Richard