Operation Emily: Surveying Thor Rocket Bases in 1958-60s
Operation Emily involved surveying for Thor ICBM bases in eastern England from 1958 until the rockets were decommissioned in the early sixties. Led by the 13 Field Survey Squadron RE, the personnel undertook tasks such as reconnaissance, pillar building, Macca base measurement, triangulation, and astronomy. The team, including individuals like Chris Everett, Pete Riffle, and Capt. John Henshaw, utilized various landmarks like cathedrals and church towers for their surveys. This collection of images showcases the team, the construction of survey pillars, and Macca Base measurement activities during the operation.
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Presentation Transcript
Operation Emily Photos submitted by David Martin
Operation Emily took place from 1958 until the Thor rockets were scrapped in the early sixties Operation Emily took place from 1958 until the Thor rockets were scrapped in the early sixties. Personnel were provided by 13 Field Survey Squadron RE. The task was to provide surveys for the establishment of 20 Thor ICBM bases in eastern England with four HQ bases at RAF Feltwell, RAF Hemswell, RAF Driffield and RAF North Luffenham. Each HQ had four sub stations all on existing RAF stations. The task included Reconnaissance, pillar building, Macca base measurement, triangulation and astronomy. The majority of junior surveyors were taken from the ranks of National Servicemen
The team c 1958 Front Row L-R Chris Everett, Pete Riffle, Capt John Henshaw, Bob Louden, ?. Middle Row L-R Nev Borley, ?, ? Frank ?, Albie Field, Pete Attwood, John Boyd. Rear row L-R ?, David Martin, ? Any help with names would be greatly appreciated.
Each site required the building of two OS pillars about 1,000 feet apart to form a base line for later work. The picture above shows early stages of such a pillar with pegs being driven to transfer the buried mark To the surface mark and thereafter to the top of the pillar.
The areas where the sites were in Eastern England tended to be flat and in consequence it was sometimes Necessary to build Bilby towers on one of the baseline pillars and for the majority of the OS triangulation stations used were elevated. We used several Cathedrals during the task , many church towers and several water towers. Cathedrals used included Ely, Lincoln, Beverley and York. The next few slides show aspects of tower building.
The picture on the left and the next slide shows Macca Base measurement in progress. It appears to me that the measurement taking place is a final short bay using a 6 metre invar tape, main bays were 24 metres. You can see clearly the straining tripods with the weight hanging below.
The left hand photo shows Bud Moon & David Martin. I believe it is on Ely Cathedral But cannot be sure. On the right on the same roof David is lightkeeping.
The photo on the left shows a beacon lamp set up over a triangulation mark in the corner of the roof of a church tower.
Another photo from David Martin. It looks flat enough to be in eastern England! David with a time honoured drink handy!
Not from Op Emily but a couple taken at SMS. Dave Martin on the left and top of the pile on the right
