I would be very grateful if you could be so kind as to publish this letter in your newspaper.

I wonder if any of your readers would be able to help me with my research on the RAF Ames 504 Radar Station at Dingli Cliffs, 1940–1944.

My later father, Corporal William Crawford of the Royal Air Force, was stationed there during the Siege of Malta from October 1940 to November 1943 as an RD. (Radar) Operator and I am trying to find any photos/pictures of the radar station in the 1940s.

This radar station I believe, was near to another Ames Radar unit (Ames 242 Mobile Radar), which was also sited on Dingli Cliffs at this time and both radar units were close to where the present Aircraft Radar (known as The Golf Ball) stands today on the cliff top.

I have spoken to Major Tony Abela and also a few people from the Aviation Museum at RAF Ta’ Qali when I was on holiday in Malta last May doing my research, and I managed to find a photo in the museum of the Dingli radar station.

However, it was dated early 1970s and the radar systems changed quite a lot during the war years. However it showed me where the radar had stood at the time and, when talking to a few of the local farmers who were resting on the cliff top, they assured me that as far as they knew that was where the radar stations had stood.

My late father was lucky enough to be able to make his one and only return visit to the George Cross Island in 1989 and during his visit I took him to Dingli Cliffs. He was delighted to be taken inside and shown around the present radar station (The Golf Ball) as well as the new radar system in use. He was also shown around his old barracks at RAF Hal-Far where he was billeted for the three years that he was based in Malta.

Sadly, this was his one and only visit to Malta as my father was in his late 70s and he was so very proud and pleased to be back to Malta and see the changes after so many years. Sadly, he passed on in his hometown of Glasgow in 2007 aged 96.

I am hoping that on reading this letter your readers may be able to help me trace any information, or that elusive photo/picture of this Ames 504 Radar Station from the 1940s, as I believe that all the Ames Radar Stations which were sited on various parts of the island, were a very important part of Malta’s war history and the early air raid warnings they gave saved many Maltese lives in the Second World War.

I thank all your readers for their time in reading this letter.

Bill Crawford

GLASGOW

SCOTLAND

e-mail: W.Crawford346@

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