Red Sands 40 - Part 1

To mark the anniversary of the last programme from the Red Sands & after 40 years the new broadcast beginnings of Red Sands Radio from Army Fort

We reflect on previous times at the Red Sands Fort

Do I have your attention now?

From 1941 "What no laundry?" one of 169 Pin-Ups by artist David Wright published throughout the 1940's in the Sketch Magazine

Radio 390 with its impressive & highly efficient 297' antenna mast

Press Release 4 - PDF File - 6th June 2007

The height of the mast made its 10Kw transmitter sound as loud as Radio Caroline 50kW & Radio London pumping out 75kw

Coming alongside the Southern G1 Gun Tower on a tender run

David Allen taking a walk on the wild side, even in 1967 the Catwalks had become dilapidated & hazardous

Press Release 5 - PDF File - 11th June 2007

The transmitter a RCA BTA 10J was to later be used again on Offshore Radio in the 1970's by RNI Radio Northsea International onboard the Mebo II

Jack McLaughlin at the desk on Radio 390, Cart machines in background

Radio 390 made best of the wartime plant especially the Gardner LW Generators which were refurbished & brought back to fine working order

David Wright's "Men Only" a reference to being a diesel engineer on Red Sands perhaps

Press Release 6 - PDF File - 11th June 2007

View from a catwalk to the central Control Tower & Antenna

Peter Berkely working in the record library

Rest & recreation Radio 390 style

Press Release 7- PDF File - 20th June 2007

More David Wright - "It sounds good to me"

David's pictures were found pinned above the men's bunks on many of the Sea Forts

Thanks to David Sinclair for identification of Jack McLaughlin & Peter Berkely

29/6/07 -Thanks again for the updates you really do have a great site. Just to say that the artist David Wright is still alive he deserves honours those pictures are really very good indeed - Trevor A Smith

This feature continues in Red Sands 40 - Part 2

For all of the features on Red Sands & its Radio Stations navigate from Red Sands Rendezvous

For a brief history of all the Thames Estuary Forts see Fort Fax

For the full history of Radio from Redsands on CD & the range of our other documentaries, the Sealand VCD, books on the Forts go to Offshore Shop