Well Not Quite!

[HamishBoxer]

Farmer sold RAF radios dumped in mine shafts. Saturday, May 15, 2010, 09:20

MADAM,

I came across some stories about Sherman tanks on the internet (published on June 13, 2009), and was very interested to read about them. It seems that stories like this have some lasting fascination for people, even years after the events.

My hobby is military history, particularly radio communications. During some recent research I came across 1940s reports of radio gear being tipped down disused mine shafts near Cheadle in Staffordshire. This method of disposal of stores wasn't uncommon after the Second World War. But what made this more interesting was that it seems that a local farmer re-entered at least one shaft. He removed large quantities of RAF radios – 10,000 units or up to 36,000 depending on the source of the information – which an associate from Buxton then sold on the open market. It appears that the Coal Commission (forerunner to the National Coal Board) took legal action against the farmer on the grounds of trespass and he was forced to cease operations.

But in the following year, 1947, he bought two shafts from the now-NCB for as little as £10 and started mining again.This time the Ministry of Supply (who had dumped the stores in the first place) tried to stop the mining but failed to do so. The farmer's MP, Hugh Fraser, raised questions in the House about why these radios had been dumped rather than being sold off to recoup some revenue for the Government. It seems that the NCB failed to put a clause in the sale agreement that the shaft contents were not to be touched.

Anyway, the whole issue appears to have embarrassed the Labour government considerably at a time of national austerity. The Minister of Supply demanded a list of other dumping sites be drawn up, in case other caches of equipment were waiting to be dug up by land owners and sold, adding fuel to the argument.

The Cheadle area was a favourite dumping site due to the number of worked-out mines there and the two in this case were the "Wonder" and "Surprise" pits. The name of the farmer concerned was Thomas Weston, of Commonside, Boundary, and his associate was George Eyre.

I wrote a short article last year on post-war radio disposals for the Vintage Military & Amateur Radio Society magazine, Signal. I have since then managed to get copies of the extensive file on the Wonder Pit from the National Archives, so I have been able to find out a lot more about this story. It looks, from the attached file found in the archives, as if an ancestor of your paper took some interest in a similar case where magnesium bomb casings were dug up and sold by another landowner, just as the MOS feared! If you are able at some time to have a look in your archives I would be very interested to hear of any discussion of the Wonder Pit mining.

It seems that this David vs Goliath story made it to the national press with both the News of the World and Daily Herald being mentioned in the MOS file.

Finally, I have no intention of digging this stuff up, can you imagine the Health and Safety hoops one would have to jump through first! Maybe Time Team might give it a look?

ROGER BASFORD Norfolk

[dave walsh]

Hi David. First heard about this in [I think] PW and then Chas Miller referred to it in an early edition of Radiophile [92?]. Not in such great detail though in either case [no pun intended]. The attraction is obvious really-we'd all like to stumble upon an Aladin's Cave [like the vast auction lot on the Hobby or Obsession thread] and the horrendous waste! Especially back then when even a lot of ex-gov stuff was still out of reach financially! We know on here that stuff still gets dumped needlessly but maybe not on an MOD scale. Who is it that this being reported to here by the way?

Once read in PW about a Radio Amateur moving house and finding the attic stuffed full of radio items when he casually decided to take a look! Was sceptical at the time but thses things do happen.

The other War Time story I've heard is about a scrap dealer buying up empty Aluminium Transit cases [supposedly used for aircraft drops of radio gear]. A number of them apparently contained mint AR88's. Nice tale whether it can be confirmed or not I think. Dave

[HamishBoxer]

Only found this today on SouthGate Amateur Radio News which i subscribe to.Also belong to Radiophile but you have a better memory than me re article 1992.

Would love to find a shaft like that in my land,mind you we do own a small wood and in nearly 4 years up here i have only managed to get as far as finding the Septic Tank!Believe me that was enough finding were it was hiding.

May look further.

Cheers David GM8JET

[stitch1]

When I was based on the Isle of Lewis in the 80's we looked after a large LF transmitter in a remote area called Aird Uig, this was an old 50's radar site. There's wasn't much left to see but if you peered over the 300ft cliffs you could see radar kit wedged in the rocks, I guess much more made it to the sea.
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/...ig/index2.html
these pics don't show the 620ft LF mast.

[HamishBoxer]

What a waste,though might be difficult to get the stuff back to the mainland.

[AC/HL]

It is reportedly common for the Government to dump equipment rather than have the hassle (and embarrassment?) of disposal. 2CV enthusiasts will know of the pickup trucks dumped off an aircraft carrier when helicopters capable of lifting Landrovers were introduced.

[brianc]

This dumping was done in order not to damage domestic markets for manufacturers. One can imagine the effect of tons of kit flooding the market, whether electronic or automaotive, would have - especially as the surplus stuff is built to military spec and therefore extra reliable (say)!

[kalee20]

Plus there's the aspect of military equipment, if released on the open market, getting into hostile hands who then analyse it and work out the best way to immobilise it. Even when no longer used by British forces, some equipment sold to friendly countries could still be in service there...