A Book on the Second World War "Y" Service?

[SteveCG]

I've read a book on the "Y" service by Sinclair McKay called The Secret Listeners. I was wondering whether there were any other books that go into more of the technical details that forum members could recommend?

[G3VKM_Roger]

A couple that spring to mind are, "The Enemy Is Listening" and "The Searchers".

Cheers

Roger

[SteveCG]

Thanks for the tips Roger.

[m0cemdave]

I'd treat the McKay book with some caution - it contains a significant number of errors.

[SteveCG]

m0cemdave - what you say does not surprise me!

[Chris G0EYO]

I have just read SIGINT by Peter Matthews and I thought it was excellent. I have a large collection of "Bletchley Park" books and another one I would recommend is Colossus by Jack Copeland. There is a lot of rubbish amongst the good stuff, I didn't rate Lorenz by Jerry Roberts nor Secret Duties of an Intercept Operator by Jenny Nater, which was a diary of her love life. As an ex Y operator myself I would like to find a book that really told the story of the Intercept stations, where they were sited, how they were organised, equipment used etc, however The Hut 6 story by Gordon Welchman is a good read.
Chris G0EYO

[WB6NVH-GEOFF]

I recently obtained a copy of "The Searchers." It is an interesting read but has virtually no technical details at all.

[short wave]

Hi Steve , My dad used to work at Beaumanor (and his sister at Forrest Moor). A book was written by Joan Nicholls called "England Needs You" ,The Story of Beaumanor Y station world war Two. I have a copy it is generally about the place. may be worth a look if your library can get it for you.
Regards S-W

[Chris G0EYO]

S-W, I can confirm this is a good book. I was also at Beaumanor c1965/66. Would I have known your Dad?
Chris G0EYO

[SteveCG]

Chris,

Yes, I understand Copeland's book and the one by Paul Gannon on Colossus are worth the effort. Do they have much on 'Y' ?

[Chris G0EYO]

Steve not much on Y but Copelands books does cover the technical side of the Enigma and Lorenz code breaking more than any of the others. The Welchman book describes the analysis of where the traffic was coming from rather than breaking the cryptography. I dont think I have read anything which could be described as an intercept operators book.

[Station X]

Originally Posted by Chris G0EYO

The Welchman book describes the analysis of where the traffic was coming from rather than breaking the cryptography.

I must disagree. "The Hut Six Story" gives the best account I know of describing how Enigma was broken.

"Seizing The Enigma" by David Kahn is very good too, but I don't think either of these books is what the OP is looking for.

[SteveCG]

Short wave, thanks for the title. I checked my library, which does not have it. Then I looked it up on Amazon UK and nearly fell off the seat when I read the asking price !

[Chris G0EYO]

I agree that Welchman's book is excellent but as I recall his forte was the analysis of the traffic rather than the cryptography and breaking the codes. I think the OP was looking for books describing the intercept operator worked and the equipment they used and I cannot recall one out of the many I have read apart from the Beaumanor one which is actually written about an intercept station.

[SteveCG]

Chris and others - yes, you are correct that I'm looking for a book on the 'Y' service as distinct from the (laudable) activities that went on in Bletchley Park.

[short wave]

In reply to “Chris G0EYO” (post#9) I dont think you would know my dad as he was there during the war.
And
Steve CG (post #13) your library could order it in for you , details are ISBN 0-9538186-0-8
the printer is Rother Valley Press Ltd TN30 7DE

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by SteveCG

Chris and others - yes, you are correct that I'm looking for a book on the 'Y' service as distinct from the (laudable) activities that went on in Bletchley Park.

Hi, just to chip in with a comment or two.

Some years ago I had a copy of "Spies of the Airwaves" written by Hugh Skillen, who had extensive involvement in WW2 Y. I think the book may be long out of print and was not an easy read but seemed to be based on Skillen's notes and recollections. My copy had an author's dedication to Arthur Gee/G2UK who also was involved in Y.

Secondly, there was a discussion on this forum a couple of months ago about a RN Y station in the Suffolk resort of Southwold which was tasked with interception of VHF traffic from German S-Boats attacking East Coast inshore convoys and minelaying. There was also a team at the Y site intercepting "Noises", a contemporary term for non-verbal or non-Morse signals like radar, jammers, etc. As Y is often only of immediate tactical value, the Y station was equipped with ship to shore radios to speak to anti-S-Boat vessels working out of local ports.

Since the thread I mention petered out there has been some discussion about the Southwold site and Y in general on another forum that I am not a member of, so I can't add much to the original postings. However, I was sent a partial RN report copied from a TNA file and produced just post-war which goes into a lot more detail on aspects like antennas and the communications receivers used.

73

Roger/G3VKM

[SteveCG]

A follow on:

Yesterday I had the pleasant surprise of my local library contacting me to collect a copy of the book "The Searchers" - that they had thought was lost. so I've got something to go on - even if it is not a technical as perhaps one might wish. Thanks again contributers for your thoughts.

[SteveCG]

I've finished reading "The Searchers" and have to agree with post no. 7's WB6NVH-GEOFF's summary - interesting, but very little technical detail.