RAF AMES 504 Dingli Cliff Malta

[bill247]

HI Bill from Glasgow here,
Iam wondering if anyone can help me with any information.
My Late Father served on this RDF UNIT during the seige of malta 1940-1943.
I have some information on this Radar Unit , but i am struggling to find a location on the Dingli Cliffs as to where this unit was located .
My Dad served with the RAF as an RDF ( radar ) operator and i have been trying to find a map which identify's this station from around 1942.
I got some information from a researcher at kew but most all pointed to the midle east war theatre.
Any assistance would be most appreciated.
        Regards.
              Bill.

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[DeeBoneham]

Bill
Had a look in my RAF Sqns book.  Dingli Cliff does not appear in their list of RAF stations in Malta.  It may have been attached to one of the others as a sub unit without being shown as a separate station.... Presume you have found the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingli  The nearest RAF stations were Luqa or Krendi.  If you can get his service records then you might find out exactly.  They will cost unless your mother is still alive in which case she can get them free.  Get a photocopy not a transcription if you do.
If you get some of the books about the RAF in Malta.  Buy second hand from Alibris, AbeBooks or Amazon.  They may mention it.
That being said he had a really important job because he would have been warning the RAF of approach of enemy aircraft during their most dangerous part of the war....  Another understated hero!
Dee

[bill247]

Dee, Thank you very much for your reply.
I am not sure if i have put over the info correctly.
Yes i have my late dad's service record from the RAF, It shows that he was a Radar Operator for the 5 yrs he was in the service during WW2. Almost 3 yrs were spent in Malta on the Air Ministry Experimental Station 504 or as the RAF named it RAF No 4 Dingli. Radar or Radio Direction Finding ( RDF ) Stations arrived in Malta in March 1939 and was at Dingli Cliff ( Ames 241 ) a second RDF  arrived also at Dingli in late 1939 being ( Ames 242 ) Dad's unit ( 504 or No 4 col ) arrived in October 1940. By that time both Ames 241& 242 had merged at the top of Dingli Cliff to become an Advance chain Overseas unit giving high Radar cover, However there was no low Radar cover till my dad's unit plus another 2 Ames ( 501& 502 ) were placed at different points on Malta as 501,502& 504 were low Radar covering units.
504 was the only low Radar covering unit at Dingli Cliff and i believe it was located opposite the Aco at Dingli Cliff. If you google Dingli Radar and look at the picture you will see what looks like a golf ball on a tee, That is the present civilian ATC and on this site in WW2 sat the RAF ACO ( 241& 242 combined ) If you look to the left hopefully DEE you will see 2 antenna and a small building on there own , This is where i think the RAF AMES 504 was located , however i do not have any proof and i am trying to locate a map with this information on it from the WW2 period.
 Dee , i hope this explains everything a bit more clearer and i thank you once again for taking the time to reply to my post.
             Bill

[rover]

Hi Bill

I came across this item (see below) that mentions RAF at Dingli Cliffs
Not much you may be able to make out of it but worth reading.

I worked with the RAF 137 MU in Malta c1946 at Kalafrana Base
 I believe that there was a Radar Unit at Dingli Cliffs that was manned by US Military but cannot remember the year or period.

" Charles Bray in Royal Air Force. In January 1956, Bray was called for National Service, to serve in the forces. Bray chooses the Royal Air Force, In Henlow, Bedfordshire, North of London. After finishing his training [recruiting]. Bray was posted overseas in Nicosia, Cyprus. Idris, Libya. Bray also was participating in the Suez crises [During Nasser Regime] with 208 Squadron. In 1958 Bray was posted at Royal Air Force Ta-Kali, in Malta the Country he was born. Royal Air Force Ta-Kali had an air Field with a fleet of Hunters, Shackleton, Meteor, Vulcan and Canberra. After serving six months at Royal Air Force Ta-Kali, Bray was transferred to another Unit with Royal Air Force, Radar Station at Dingli Cliffs. After one year transferred to another Unit with Royal Air Force Radar Station at Tas-Silg. In 1959 Bray tried to build a football team called Fleur-De-Leys F.C. the boys that played had to be from Fleur-De-Leys, B’kara.  See Bray posing by the Radars at Tas-Silg Malta. And last one the Fleur-De-Leys Team."

[See more pictures at http://www.searchmalta.com / at photo gallery Tas-Silg.

Charles Bray passed away in Canada during 2009,

Regards

Another Bill.

[scrimnet]

I have a chum in the RAF who comes from Malta...I'll ask him about it

[bill247]

Hi , Bill from Glasgow here.
Firstly my thanks to Rover for contacting me on the Malta Radar Ames 504 Dingli Radar Station.
When i set out to find the location of this Station almost 2 yrs ago, i was put in touch with Mr Charles Bray in Canada and he provided me with some useful information that he had at the time. Although he had been there some time after my late Father some of the info was most welcome.
Bill , Iam very sorry to hear of his passing last year, However his memory will live on through his photo's from malta on his website.
Bill , may i just say that the Dingli Radar's ( There were 3 Stations along the cliff in the late 1940s at Dingli ) were all manned by the UK Royal Air Force and that there was no US military involved.
Bill , thank you for your contact which was much appreciated.
Secondly , My thanks to moderator scrimnet for also contacting me on my topic and i will await your reply with interest , as i have found it very difficult to find much material on this radar unit.
I am trying to find any proof of the location on dingli cliff as this station was Ames 504 which was the Air Ministry No also it was known as the RAF No 4 COL ( chain overseas low ) Radar Station Dingli Malta and my Father was stationed there from 1940-1943 and my Father as billeted at the RAF Station Hal-Far Malta.
Again may i thank you both ever so much for your replies to this topic.
                   Bill

[DeeBoneham]

Good luck with that Bill.  Do let us know what you find out...
Dee

[bill247]

Dee , Thanks again for your message of yesterday.
I will let you know the outcome of this post although it may be some time.
As you may have read ,i have been trying to find the location of this Radar unit on Dingli cliff Malta for almost 2 yrs.
I have some information in my Late Fathers RAF record of Service which confirmed that he served on Malta on the Ames 504 Radar Station Dingli Cliff from Oct 1940 till sept 1943 as an RDF Operator..
I have had 2 appeal letters published in the Times of Malta Newspaper and although i got again some info , There is sadly no confirmation of the whereabouts on Dingli Cliff that the Ames 504 Chain Overseas Low Radar Unit was located. So the search for a map goes on.
I know a few people have looked at this post so can i appeal to anyone who would know where i can obtain a military map of MALTA in the 1940s particularly showing the Radar Units please leave a message and ill get back to you , THANKS.
Thanks again for your message DEE and ill get back to you when i have more info.
                      Bill.

[grandarog]

I am only surmising ,the Dingli unit may have come under the control (for admin purposes ) of RAF Siggiewi which was the main comms unit. You may find out more details from there.
Rog