The RAF in Suffolk

John Cooper · Administrator

Foxhall USAF Transmitter/Receiver Station

tarkey · Senior Member

The site was part pf MH untill the yanks got it. it is called an Autovon and is nothing more than a glorified telephone exchange. It did get used in the Appollo Moon landing shot. There is no underground bunker I am told but I was told otherwise by a member of the Suffolk County Council Planning Committee, Michael Elmer. It is now the site of the Suffolk Aviation heritage Museum rum by Colin Durrant.

see http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/i/ipswich/index.html

another site http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=42170

podted by Erol. any connection with BWCWM.

There was rumored to be a refueling depot for US Submarines via a tunnel from the Orwell, Lovely story but hardly true.
I have been asked to try out my RAF kite in their grounds ( if you remember we were going to use the field behind the site)

Tarkey

-- Edited by tarkey on Sunday 20th of September 2009 10:41:39 PM

John Cooper · Administrator

Thanks for that Tarkey, I always thought [and told] that there was more 'sinister' happenings going on there! Certainly some big aerials for a telephone exchange

Re the kite, hopefully next month when the Autumn winds arrive!

tarkey · Senior Member

I also found this

http://www.mayston.com/Suffolk%20Aviation%20Heritage%20Group.htm

Rhack · Newbie

I was stationed at RAF Marthlesham Heath off of Foxhall Rd. from Jan 1985 thru Feb 1988. I was an "Autovoner". Autovon=Automatic Voice Network. The site provided voice communications and data communications to locations throughout England and Europe, Germany in particular. About 75 people worked at the location. Small dorm had 10 rooms, and a small detached 2-private room dorm for NCO'S. Most people got to live off site, most of us living in Ipswich or surrounding areas. The large antenna were for tropospheric scatter radio shots. There were smaller microwave antenna for shots to Ben****ers. The Autovon "switch" was physically a very large system. If I recall correctly there were ~250 voice circuits. I am still in the telecommunications field today, so I have to smile at this behemoth system with such little capacity. I sure learned alot about the fundementals of telecommunications and electronics on it. Also at the site were Tech Controllers. They handled patching of data circuits, secrure transmissions and qa testing of circuits. Lets not forget the wideband troops as well. They took care of all the radio transmission and multiplexor equipment. We had a few administrative types and our commander. On site were also a few british nationals that worked for the DOE. We affectionitly called the site the "ROC". We had our own pub called the "ROC lounge". We were kept in stock by Norwich Brewery if I remember right. We hosted dart tournements and also, we went to local pubs to throw darts. I feel very fortunate to have been stationed there. Most military members get stuck on a large base and cannot appreciate their host country as I did. I loved England and East Anglia. I hope the area still has the charm I remember. I also met and married my wife of 25 years (and still counting) while stationed there. We returned in 2001 and almost brought a tear to my eye to see the ROC in such disrepair. We plan on returning for a visit in 2011. Yes, I heard all the stories of an underground sub base, quite funny. Best Regards from a former Heathen.