We have the Royal Parks to thank for allowing the station to be situated in Bushy Park and it is possible that these will be the first transmission from this location since WW2 and the base being operational.

During World War 1 large numbers of Canadian troops were stationed in the park. One of the large houses in the park, Upper Lodge, (previously a hunting lodge rebuilt around 1710 by the first Earl of Halifax) was used as the King’s Canadian Hospital.

In World War Two, part of Bushy Park became the site of a large US base called Camp Griffiss. In February and March 1944, General Eisenhower moved SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces) to Bushy Park from where the initial planning stages of Operation Overlord, the Normandy invasion, took place.

Near the Teddington end of the park, not far from Chestnut Avenue, a USAAF Memorial Plaque commemorates these events. Only when the war was over did local people learn the vital role Bushy Park had played.

Our station GB2IKE is located near the memorial for Camp Griffis

From 1942, Bushy Park became the site of a large U.S. base called Camp Griffiss, headquarters to a number of the Allied departments. General Dwight Eisenhower was averse to working in the centre of London during the Second World War.

He decided instead to make Bushy Park the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) centre for planning Operation Overlord, the 1944 D-Day.

We will be on all of the ‘Amateur Frequencies and we are looking forward to speaking to as many operators from around the world as possible but we are hoping that we find someone who was based in the Park during WW2.

The demonstration station was supported by the RSGB Region 9 Area Manager Alison Johnston (G8ROG).

The weekend started as visitors entered and where first met by the staff volunteers dressed up as either the Home Guard, Shop Keepers, local Police, military Police and within the shadows ‘Viv the Spive’ selling watches petrol coupons and ladies stockings!

The time table of events to entertain the public was spaced through out the day and included demonstrations ranging of all of the steam water pumping engines and the steam railway together with demonstrations of ‘Make and mend’, Ministry of Food ‘, Dig for Victory’ and how the unsung heroes of London Transport kept the Busses, Tram’s and underground railways going despite the attacks from enemy action as this part of London was heavily damaged during the Blitz. The tea room served a war time menu including span fritters and corn beef war time prices! We were well fed at Second World War prices!

Our radio station an ICOM line up with matching ATU and amp worked into a Windom antenna which was supported by the main water tower and stretched across the main car park. We would like to thank all the stations that called into GB0KEW over the weekend and made our event possible to demonstrate our hobby. We are looking forward to receiving QSL cards so that they can be added and displayed next year together with the QSL cards which we have received over the last two years.

Within our photographs are some pictures which show the view across West London from the top of the Water Tower and for those wondering how high the tower is well it’s over 247 steps! And the views show Wembley Stadium with Box Hill in the background, Central London and Docklands and either direction along the Thames towards Richmond and South London.

Photographs taken on the day are shown within our picture galley GBØKEW Photos.