The presentation gives an overview of Orford Ness, which is positioned off the Suffolk coast, twenty miles East of Ipswich. This shingle spit was the location of intense research, which started during WWI and continued during WWII. After the end of WWII, the research continued during the Cold War period, under the control of the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment {AWRE}!
The presenter Nick was a research scientist at the Royal Aircraft Establishment {RAE} at Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, which had many similarities to Orford Ness. He explained the history of Orford Ness from its early beginnings in 1913, primarily investigating the use of the aircraft as a weapon. Development of numerous aircraft types took place, along with the improvement of dropping bombs, weapon aiming, the development of oxygen equipment, aerial reconnaissance and the development of a new piece of equipment, called the parachute.
Research continued during the inter-war years and during WWII this continued improving aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire and the Hawker Hurricane, along with optimizing their fire-power. Many of the buildings that were used in this pioneering research {Bomb Ballistics building etc.} are still present today, with descriptive exhibitions inside.
Radar, which can be argued as the technology that help to win WWII, was developed at Orford Ness by Robert Watson Watt and his team of boffins, before it moved to Bawdsey Manor, located on the mouth of the River Deben, in Suffolk.
The presentation then gave an overview of the work by the AWRE, this work started in 1953. The various AWRE buildings were described, especially the peculiar test laboratories called Pagodas. These can also be visited during an official National Trust tour. Various images were shown of the inside of some of these historic test cells.
The presentation ends by talking about a very secret project called Cobra Mist. This Anglo-American project was researching into Early Warning, Over the Horizon, Radar systems. This very expensive project {£120 million in its day} commenced during 1968 and terminated in 1973. The old Cobra Mist control building is currently being used by Radio Caroline!
Peace and tranquility eventually came to the Orford Ness site in 1993, when the National Trust took control of the site.
The 70 plus years of secrecy and mystery had come to an end.
Text by Nick Cooke