Brown Peat Bog

A most northerly War

Far in the north of Scotland is Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of the UK mainland. At

58° 40′ 21″ N latitude and 3° 22′ 31″ W longtitude it is further north than Moscow and parts of Alaska, and 1o latitudefurther north than the most northerly point of the Danish mainland, Skagen.

Ordnance Survey Land Ranger map LR12 OS Grid Ref: ND204766.  Located at the western end of the tempestuous Pentland Firth, overlooking the Orkney Islands, with a watching brief over the entrance to the natural anchorage of Scapa Flow, scene of the scuttling of the four battleships and four light cruisers of the German fleet in WWI, the bases at Dunnet Head and Burifa Hill played an important part in coastal defences during WWII.

Burifa Hill is a mile south west of Dunnet Head with magnificent views over Dunnet Bay to Thurso.  There are remains of the installation, as mentioned below, but is less visited than Dunnet Head due to its relative inaccessibility.  That is to say, the vehicular access is by 4x4 only.

The Dunnet and Castletown areas became home for thousands of servicemen and women during WWII. The "Gee" station at Burifa Hill and the radar station at Dunnet Head played  important roles in the UK´s coastal defences, and at Castletown, one of four WWII airfields in Caithness (the others being at Dounreay, Skitten and Wick) the extensive site  brought many changes to the area.  For the servicemen and women, one cannot imagine arriving in this remote spot after travelling long hours from crowded southern England.  The wild scenery, the wide open spaces, the small settlements – all would have been a surprise to the troops – as they are to any newcomer to the area.

"Gee" was a radio navigational aid developed to help Bomber Command navigate and find its targets over a blacked-out Germany at night. There were several ground stations linked together which, by the transmission of carefully timed radio signals, produced a grid (hence the name: Gee for grid) of signals from which a navigator could determine the aircraft's position. The main pulse would be sent by a Master Station and this would trigger transmissions from Slave Stations and the resulting grid made it possible to navigate very accurately to a range of about 300 miles.

A number of Gee chains were built in Britain, to cover various areas of Occupied Europe. One of these was the Northern Gee Chain of which Burifa Hill was the Master. There were Slave Stations at Scousburgh in Shetland, Windyhead Hill near Fraserburgh and Sango near Cape Wrath. There was also a Monitor Station and this too was at Burifa Hill. The Northern Gee Chain became operational in late 1941 and remained in use until March 1946.

The Northern Gee Chain was used to great effect in hundreds of operations throughout its operational lifetime. These included assisting with minelaying operations carried out in the North Sea and Baltic Sea during September and October 1943. One particular operation which is mentioned in the records of Burifa Hill is of interest. The Chain gave a "very exceptional performance" on the night of 3/4 September 1943 when its signals were used by a Bomber Command force of 316 Avro Lancasters in a raid on Berlin at a distance of 620 miles from Burifa Hill. This is a quite remarkable distance, being more than double the normal range for Gee reception.  Source:  Ian Brown, Historical Radar Archive.

 

The operations centres at Dunnet Head and Burifa Hill were originally constructed and commissioned by the  Royal Navy. In 1939 a scheme was devised by Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville, Director of Anti-Submarine Weapons and Devices, to set up radar stations to cover the Fair Isle Channel against U-boats passing through the channel to or from the Atlantic. In the spring of 1940 this scheme was extended to the north of Shetland and to the Pentland Firth. The six stations, known as Admiralty Experimental Stations, in this scheme were located at Sumburgh, Fair Isle (two stations), Saxavord, South Ronaldsay and Dunnet Head and were operated by the Royal Navy.

Dunnet Head, Admiralty Experimental Station No. 6, was the last to be constructed, work beginning in the summer of 1940 on high ground just to the south of the lighthouse. Like the others, Dunnet Head was a Coast Defence U-boat (C.D.U.) station, the naval version of the R.A.F.'s Chain Home Low (C.H.L.) radar which formed part of the early warning network round the coasts of Britain. The C.D.U. radar was able to track shipping and surfaced submarines to a distance of a few miles and could also detect aircraft at ranges of 100 miles or more, depending on the height of the aircraft. When erected, the station at Dunnet Head consisted of two separate huts, one for the transmitter and one for the receiver, with the aerial arrays mounted on gantries which straddled each hut. The aerial arrays were of the ‘bedstead' type, so called because of their resemblance to mattresses. These aerial arrays were turned by hand, using upturned bicycle frames, with a chain running from the bike up through the roof to the aerial frame above. Following several months of construction work, A.E.S. 6 at Dunnet Head became operational in December 1940.  The naval chapter in the story of Dunnet Head came to an end in October 1943 when the station was transferred to the Royal Air Force, being operated by them until the station closed down.

During its operational lifetime, Dunnet Head plotted a number of enemy aircraft in the Orkney area as well as those over South Shetland and the Fair Isle passage, the latter generally meteorological reconnaissance aircraft flying out into the North Atlantic. In addition, tracks of some 35,000 friendly aircraft were plotted by the station during the three years it was operated by the Royal Navy.

In the early years of WWII, Canadians overseas served in RAF squadrons and were catered for by British cooks.  Number 6 RCAF Group, commonly known as the Canadian Bomber Command, was formed in England in December 1942. The catering function was performed by an RAF Catering Officer and this caused problems for the largely Canadian personnel. Traditionally the British had four meals a day, namely breakfast, dinner, tea and supper. Tea was in fact a meal served about 1700 and supper was more like a snack served around 2000. The Canadians were not in favour of this system and, furthermore, preferred different foodstuffs than those favoured by the British. A study was undertaken by the Canadian Catering Officer with a view to setting up a Canadian catering system for the Canadian personnel. In 1944, 12 female Catering Officers were sent to England to manage the four main bases and 12 smaller stations of 6 RCAF Bomber Group and to provide menus more in line with the Canadian palate. Given severe problems with ration availability including coffee meat and fresh milk, they accomplished all and more than would have been expected. After WWII, in Jan, 1949,  the ration scale  was revised to allow greater flexibility in menu planning.

 

At RAF Castletown, Dunnet Head and Burifa Hill, as undoubtedly in other areas, service rations were supplemented by local fresh produce, and a barter system with the local farmers was prevalent in the area.  RAF Castletown even had its own station "garden" which boasted 800 lettuces, and some 6000 onions and leeks. The Officers' Mess also kept lobster pots in the bay. Source: http://www.forces.gc.ca

 

On "liberty weekends" the troops were taken into Thurso where they dined at the Royal Hotel, and the officers billeted at the Dunnet Hotel seemed to dine well, especially at Xmas when it was reported that at RAF Burifa Hill, the Xmas menu of 1944 boasted "Roast turkey á la Poulter, stuffing au Royal Hotel, Peat Bog pork, peas, sprouts, pickles, spuds, Xmas pud, mince pies and coffee  Table decorations by Trees Ltd. , branches everywhere except Caithness."

 

The social life improved as the War progressed – there were cinemas at the base of Burifa Hill and at RAF Castletown, each station had its own concert party and put on productions, and there were sports days and outings to keep up morale.

The bases were decommissioned immediately after the War with local firms being involved in dismantling some of the buildings.  The most prominent one which remains is the operations block on Dunnet Head itself – poised on the extreme summit of the Head, it is a point of interest of visitors who, according to a recent survey carried out by the Dunnet Head Educational Trust, would like to see interpretation of the site, and information about the history of the installation.

 

 

About the Author

Tina Irving has been writing articles for many years for the Spanish and UK press.  Her work has been published in The Lady, Country Walking, Sentinella, Euro Weekly, the Grapevine, Market Place and the John o Groats Journal to mention just a few.

A View of Muskeg (Peat Bog) in Southeast Alaska $39.99 Annie Griffiths A View of Muskeg (Peat Bog) in Southeast Alaska - Photographic Print

Bodies from the Bog $16.44 In 1952, Danish workmen digging in a peat bog made an astonishing discovery. Their shovels struck the head of a dead man, his face flattened by the weight of the peat and his skin as brown as the earth in which he lay. Who was he and how had he come to be there? Scientists examined him and learned the answers to these questions and many more, including how he died and even what he ate on his last day. In this fascinating glimpse into the world of the bog people, Deem explains to readers who those people were, how they lived, what they believed, and how peat bogs preserve bodies.

Man Drives a Horse-Drawn Cart to a Bog for a Load of Peat $39.99 Man Drives a Horse-Drawn Cart to a Bog for a Load of Peat - Photographic Print

Ireland: Smoke Rising from Peat Bog, Ariel View $34.99 Brimberg & Coulson Ireland: Smoke Rising from Peat Bog, Ariel View - Photographic Print

A peat bog formation resembling a horse's head north of Punta Arenas $39.99 Bobby Haas A peat bog formation resembling a horse's head north of Punta Arenas - Photographic Print

Monastic Mathematicians $49.99 Monastic Mathematicians Giclee Print by . Product size approximately 18 x 24 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Bog-myrtle and Peat $16.53 No Synopsis Available

Bog-Myrtle and Peat $17.54 No Synopsis Available

Bog of Allen $79.66 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Bog of Allen (Moin Aluine in Irish) is a large peat bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council describes the bog as an important area of peatland, as much a part of Irish natural heritage as the Book of Kells. The bog, however, is in danger now after centuries of agricultural exploitation and recent encroachments by development. Efforts are underway to save the bog and preserve its fragile ecological state. The bogs 958 square kilometers (370 square miles) stretch into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Laois, and County Westmeath. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 124 Publication Date: 2010/08/23 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.29 inches

Anglo-Saxon Weapons, c.900 Ad, Found Alongside the Nydam Boat in a Peat Bog, South Jutland, 1859-63 $49.99 Anglo-Saxon Weapons, c.900 Ad, Found Alongside the Nydam Boat in a Peat Bog, South Jutland, 1859-63 - Giclee Print

Pinhook Bog $68.51 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Indianas only true bog is a special geologic feature of this region which preserves a large variety of plants with extraordinary adaptations for survival. See insect eating plants and tamarack trees; walk on a boardwalk that is placed upon a floating mat of sphagnum moss. Pinhook Bog is about 580 acres, a quarter of which is a floating peat mat. The moat surrounds the bog from the uplands. Pinhook Bog is a National Natural Landmark. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 100 Publication Date: 2010/08/23 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.24 inches

Bog Child $2.99 Digging for peat in the mountain with his Uncle Tally, Fergus finds something that makes his heart stop. Curled up deep in the bog is the body of a child. And it looks like she's been murdered. As Fergus tries to make sense of the mad world around him - his brother on hunger-strike in prison, his growing feelings for Cora, his parents arguing over the Troubles, and him in it up to the neck, blackmailed into acting as a courier to God knows what - a little voice comes to him in his dreams, and the mystery of the bog child unfurls.

Burns Bog $68.51 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Burns Bog is the largest domed peat bog on the west coast of North America. It covers an area of about 40 square kilometers and occupies a quarter of Delta, British Columbia, about 25 km southeast of downtown Vancouver, and is bounded by BC Highway 10 on its south, the Annacis Highway on its east, and River Road, along the South Arm of the Fraser River on its northwest. It is named after the former owner, Patrick Burns of Burns Meat Packaging. Its indigenous name is Maqwum, or in proper Hunquminum orthography, Ma?qwem . The word simply means bog but may refer to a specific plant growing in the location as well. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 88 Publication Date: 2010/08/23 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.21 inches

Memphis Grizzlies v Orlando Magic: Rudy Gay $124.99 Memphis Grizzlies v Orlando Magic: Rudy Gay Wall Mural by Fernando Medina. Product size approximately 48 x 72 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Bog Body $106.74 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Bog bodies, also known as bog people, are preserved human bodies found in sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe, Great Britain and Ireland. Unlike most ancient human remains, bog bodies have retained their skin and internal organs due to the unusual conditions of the surrounding area. These conditions include highly acidic water, cold temperature, and a lack of oxygen, combining to preserve but severely tan their skin. Although their skin is preserved, their bones are generally not, as the acid in the peat dissolves the calcium phosphate of bone. Some of the bodies retain intricate details like tattoos and fingerprints. Fingerprint expert C.H. Vogelius Andersen was astonished to find that Grauballe Mans hand prints were clearer than his own. The stubble and facial features of Tollund Man are particularly well preserved. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 134 Publication Date: 2009/12/08 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.31 inches

A Brown Bear Runs over a Frozen Bog in Winter $39.99 Mattias Klum A Brown Bear Runs over a Frozen Bog in Winter - Photographic Print

Bog $24.99 Bog - Photographic Print

Tannersville Cranberry Bog $68.51 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles The Tannersville Cranberry Bog or Cranberry Swamp, is a sphagnum bog on the Cranberry Creek in Tannersville, Pennsylvania. It is the southernmost boreal bog east of the Mississippi river, containing many black spruce and tamarack trees at the southern limit of their ranges. Technically, it can be classed as an acid fen, as it receives some groundwater flow. The site was designated a National Natural Landmark in December 1974. It was purchased by The Nature Conservancy and the Conservation and Research Foundation in 1956. Like many bogs, its terrain presents an image of solidity, but a liquid mass of decaying peat lies beneath a sixinch (152 mm) layer of sphagnum and a network of supporting tree roots. However, this bog may be viewed conveniently from a floating walkway. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 88 Publication Date: 2010/08/23 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.21 inches

Bodies in the Bog And The Archaeological Imagination (Paperback) $49.4 Over the past few centuries, northern Europe`s bogs have yielded mummified men, women, and children who were deposited there as sacrifices in the early Iron Age and kept startlingly intact by the chemical properties of peat. In this remarkable account of their modern afterlives, Karin Sanders argues that the discovery of bog bodies began an extraordinary?and ongoing?cultural journey. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Sanders shows, these eerily preserved remains came alive in art and science as material metaphors for such concepts as trauma, nostalgia, and identity. Sigmund Freud, Joseph Beuys, Seamus Heaney, and other major figures have used them to reconsider fundamental philosophical, literary, aesthetic, and scientific concerns. Exploring this intellectual spectrum, Sanders contends that the power of bog bodies to provoke such a wide range of responses is rooted in their unique status as both archeological artifacts and human beings. They emerge as corporeal time capsules that transcend archaeology to challenge our assumptions about what we can know about the past. By restoring them to the roster of cultural phenomena that force us to confront our ethical and aesthetic boundaries, Bodies in the Bog excavates anew the question of what it means to be human.

Patagonia Speedway Beanie - Peat Brown $38.95 The Speedway Beanie is a beanie with a little texture and good amount of warmth. The wool is warm but comfortable and the hat is fully lined with lightweight, moisture-wicking polyester fleece. It has great texture and stripes for visual appeal! It weighs (2.8 oz) 79 g and is made of 100% medium gauge chlorine-free wool and the lining is 5.15-oz. of 100% polyester. One size fits all. Available Colors: Forest Glen, Peat Brown.

Patagonia Friction Belt - Peat Brown $27.45 The Friction Belt is a strong, multifunctional web belt with quick-dry nylon webbing that doubles as an emergency lash strap. It features an anodized, anti-corrosive finish on the buckle and an adjustable fit. This belt weighs (5.8 oz) 164 g and is made of 1" nylon webbing. One size fits all! Available Colors: Peat Brown, Axel Stripe/Balsam, Fletch/Pomegranate, Sea Kami/Prussian Blue.

Patagonia Plush Synch Hoody (Women's) - Peat Brown $84.95 It's made of our plushest polyester fleece that's soft and easy care with a hoody for warmth with full-length front zip, and handwarmer pockets. Available Colors: Black, Magenta, Turquoise, Peat Brown.

Bodies from the Bog By Deem, James M. $12.62 A fascinating look at the ancient European culture of the bog people describes how, in 1952, Danish workmen found the body of a dead man hidden in peat, and what scientists discovered about the man and his world. Reprint. Author: Deem, James M. Publication Date: 2003/08/25 Number of Pages: 48 Binding Type: Paperbound Grade Level: 34 Language: English Depth: 0.25 Width: 10.25 Height: 9.25

Oooh! In The Bog. $10 Oooh! In The Bog.

Alphabet Wallpaper in Peat - Graham and Brown $60 Alphabet Wallpaper in Peat - Print by Graham & Brown This black on black pattern will give any room a sleek and sophisticated look through wallpaper. The complex and intricate pattern, created from characters from the Greek alphabet, is consistent with Basso & Brooke's fashion collections. $60 / roll. Wallpaper is sold measuring: Width: 20.5" Length: 11 yards (33 feet) Design Repeat: 25.2 inches Covers roughly 56 sq feet of wall space. Wallpapers can be cleaned with a sponge. Wallpaper adhesive sold separately. Graham and Brown have been creating innovative and fashionable decorative wall coverings for over 60 years. All designer wallpaper products are made in Blackburn, England. Their unique and archival styles allow for innovative decorating in the home or office. The Graham & Brown story is one of great guts & determination and impressive vision- built from the bare bones of a single printing machine and the dreams of two men, Harold Graham and Henry Brown, to create a long lasting legacy for their families and for the industry. Graham & Brown has a reputation as one of the leading wall covering brands around the world.

Patagonia Beanie Hat (Children's) - Slickrock/Peat Brown $28.95 This cozy beanie, made of a nylon/wool blend has a warm brushed fleece headband. It has 2 1/2" brushed fleece interior headband lining for comfort. Available Colors: Black, Backcountry/Channel Blue, Backcountry/Pearl, Slickrock/Peat Brown, Slickrock/Turquoise, Stormy/Bougainvillea.

Patagonia Caulder Down Jacket (Men's) - Peat Brown $228.95 A refined down jacket made of recycled polyester ripstop and insulated with 600-fill-power goose down. The down jacket with stand-up collar box quilting keeps down from shifting and maintains warmth. Available Colors: Black, Seaweed, Peat Brown.

Patagonia Micro-D Hoody (Men's) - Peat Brown $74.95 Sweatshirt-styling meets our soft Micro-D polyester fleece in this pullover hoody that has warm overlapped fabric at the neck and a kangaroo-style pocket. Available Colors: Feather Grey, Black, Deep Space, Lagoon, Peat Brown, Red Delicious, Valley Green.

Drawing Inks peat brown $2.79 Winsor & Newton Drawing Inks, formulated from a series of soluble dyes in a superior shellac solution, are brilliantly colored, fast drying, fully intermixable, and easily diluted. They can be applied with brush, pen or airbrush, making them perfect for illustrators, designers, calligraphers and artists.The colors are available in 14 ml glass bottles.

Patagonia - Micro D Hoodie (Peat Brown) - Apparel $26.99 6pm.com is proud to offer the Patagonia - Micro D Hoodie (Peat Brown) - Apparel: Dawn patrol can feel extra cold. Check the surf report and stay warm in the Micro D Hoodie. ; Lightweight microdenier fleece fabric. ; Fixed hood. ; Front kangaroo pocket. ; 100% polyester (85% recycled). ; Machine wash cold and tumble dry low. ; Length: 30 in ; Neck Circumference: 20 in ; Product measurements were taken using size LG. Please note that measurements may vary by size.

Patagonia - Lambswool 1/4 Zip (Peat Brown) - Apparel $49.99 6pm.com is proud to offer the Patagonia - Lambswool 1/4 Zip (Peat Brown) - Apparel: Classic style never fades. Relax with retro flair when you wear the Lambswool 1/4 Zip. ; Soft, durable lambswool blend fabric. ; Offset shoulder seams. ; Quarter-length zip. ; Ribbed neckline, hem, and cuffs. ; 80% lambswool, 20% nylon. ; Hand wash cold and dry flat. ; Imported. ; Length: 30 in ; Product measurements were taken using size LG. Please note that measurements may vary by size.

Patagonia Retro-X Vest (Women's) - Peat Brown $149 Smart enough to be worn to the annual barn dance but functionally warm to the core, this Patagonia classic is made from breathable, windproof polyester pile (78% recycled) and lined with brushed, moisture-wicking polyester mesh. The quilted Supplex nylon side panels and collar-stand reduce bulk for layering or swing-dancing. The elasticized arm openings and hem trap body warmth, while zippered, mesh-lined handwarmer pockets secure metro tickets and cash. Available Colors: Magenta, Turquoise, Peat Brown.

Tags: soap

This entry was posted on Monday, August 18th, 2008 at 3:08 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.