Air Raid (or possibly Flood?) warning sirens

[Lightbuoy]

Popped along to Walton-on-the-Naze on the train the other weekend, and saw these near the Police Station..................

I'd be interested to know if the are old Air Raid sirens, or if flood warning ones, were they originally for air raids? Chaars!

Lb

 

[Reaperman]

Its almost definate they were orignally air raid sirens, There a standard type Ive seen identical versions on asylum water towers. weather they had another use is more difficult to say, Certainly in some parts of the country sirens are still used. EG those at Broadmoor to warn the locals of escapes!

 

[Lightbuoy]

Its almost definate they were orignally air raid sirens, There a standard type Ive seen identical versions on asylum water towers. weather they had another use is more difficult to say, Certainly in some parts of the country sirens are still used. EG those at Broadmoor to warn the locals of escapes!

Ahh, thanks for that Reaps
Never knew that they had some on Asylums Water Towers (but it kind of makes sense) no need to build separate legs and the higher the better!
Have heard about those sirens at Broadmoor (see below link for more info)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A7414292

Lb

 

[Foxylady]

That's a really interesting piece of history about Broadmoor. A bit of the 'wow' factor there (and a shiver thrown in! ).
When I was a girl there was an occasional siren sounding where I lived, which was used whenever one of the local Borstal Boys went walkabout. I don't ever remember seeing the sirens, though. Thanks for the pics, Lb. A nice bit of info.

Foxy

 

[krela]

Places with chemical refineries still use them too, like stockport and avonmouth, to warn if there are chemical leaks.

 

[Pete]

Ahh, thanks for that Reaps
Never knew that they had some on Asylums Water Towers (but it kind of makes sense) no need to build separate legs and the higher the better!
Have heard about those sirens at Broadmoor (see below link for more info)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A7414292

Lb

The 'asylum' ones are more likely to have been hang-overs from the war and retained as fire alarms. As i understand, patients in local mental hospitals would understandably not be considered as being necessary for sirens etc. Like Broadmoor, Rampton (another special hospital) was also well known for its sirens which sounded when an inmate escaped.

 

[Lightbuoy]

Thanks for that Pete
Fire alarms eh? I reckon that some high / low piched wailing noise would freak the Patients out more than the fire itself though!!!

Lb

 

[Richard Davies]

I remember hearing a siren like an air raid one a few times when visiting a friend who lived on Mill Brow, near Glossop.

I've never found out where it was from, I don't think there were any quarries or anything else needing one near by.

 

[Newage]

Just to add another twist to the idea, I could be a siren from a cold war civil defence bunker/network, there is some mention of them on the subbrit web site.

There was one in Wroughton up until the early 1990`s when it was taken down, there is also an ROC post on the old RAF Wroughton air field now part of the science museum

Cheers Newage

 

[Rob]

Flood warning sirens. There are loads in lincolnshire.
From the essex flood plan 2002:
Flood Warning Sirens – There are 36 Tidal Flood Warning Sirens which are positioned in the coastal areas most likely to be affected (see Annex D, Section III). The warning is given by FIVE THIRTY SECOND SOUNDINGS AT FIFTEEN SECOND INTERVALS. (Activated by ECC, see Annex F, Section III)

TIDAL FLOOD WARNINGS
SIREN LOCATIONS
TENDRING DISTRICT COUNCIL
HARWICH POLICE STATION
PARKESTON QUAY HAMILTON HOUSE
WALTON ON NAZE CAR PARK
JAYWICK SANDS MIDWAY
JAYWICK FROBISHER DRIVE
JAYWICK LION POINT
ST. OSYTH POINT CLEAR
BRIGHTLINGSEA FIRE STATION
COLCHESTER BOROUGH COUNCIL
WEST MERSEA FIRE STATION
WIVENHOE FIRE STATION
WIVENHOE PHILLIP ROAD
MALDON DISTRICT COUNCIL
HEYBRIDGE ECC H/WAYS DEPOT
MAYLANDSEA NIPSELLS CHASE
ST LAWRENCE BAY ST LAWRENCE DRIVE
BURNHAM ON CROUCH POLICE STATION
BURNHAM ON CROUCH CLOCK TOWER
SOUTHMINSTER POLICE STATION
TILLINGHAM FIRE STATION
TOLLESBURY RECREATION GRND
CHELMSFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL
S.W.F FIRE STATION
S.W.F TELEPHONE EX.
S.W.F GLADDEN FIELDS
ROCHFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL
FOULNESS ISLAND TREE FARM, COURTSEND
HULLBRIDGE RECREATION GROUND
CASTLE POINT BOROUGH COUNCIL
SOUTH BENFLEET POLICE STATION
CANVEY ISLAND CANVEY ROAD
CANVEY ISLAND NORTHWICK PARK SCHOOL
CANVEY ISLAND FIRE STATION
CANVEY ISLAND POPLAR ROAD
CANVEY ISLAND MAURICE ROAD
CANVEY ISLAND RATTWICK DRIVE
CANVEY ISLAND NEWLANDS ROAD
CANVEY ISLAND CLIMMEN ROAD
CANVEY ISLAND PLAYING FIELD
(OFF STATION PARADE)
THURROCK BOROUGH COUNCIL
TILBURY OLD FIRE STATION
GRAYS ORSETT ROAD

http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/vip8/ecc/ECCWebsite/content/binaries/documents/Floodplan_2002_final.pdf

Hope this helps

Rob...

 

[krela]

Interesting, cheers, rob.

 

[Lightbuoy]

Thanks a lot Rob -makes a good read does that!

Lb

 

[lost]

This is on top of the Whittingham water tower, it looks almost identical apart from the colour scheme.

 

[Lightbuoy]

Thanks for that pic Lost
I am impressed -climbing to the top of a water tower is an acheivement in itself -so finding an old siren must be like the cherry on top!!
This confirms what Reaps said earlier. Thanks again.

Lb

 

[saul_son]

It is, as stated earlier, more than likely to be from the Cold War period. The siren would have sounded by the local Carrier Control Point (CCP) located at a Police Station normally. The alert to sound the siren, the dreaded "Attack Warning RED" would have came from the UKWMO National Wartime HQ in Preston, via the Handel and WB 400/600/1400 Carrier network.

There was one on top of the old Police Station at the top of my road up until around 1993 and there is still one in Hale near Altrincham.

 

[Lightbuoy]

It is, as stated earlier, more than likely to be from the Cold War period. The siren would have sounded by the local Carrier Control Point (CCP) located at a Police Station normally. The alert to sound the siren, the dreaded "Attack Warning RED" would have came from the UKWMO National Wartime HQ in Preston, via the Handel and WB 400/600/1400 Carrier network.

There was one on top of the old Police Station at the top of my road up until around 1993 and there is still one in Hale near Altrincham.

Very interesting Saul Son. What you said makes sense -the one pictured is just up the road from the Police Station. Thanks for the info buddy

Lb

 

[Reaperman]

It is, as stated earlier, more than likely to be from the Cold War period. The siren would have sounded by the local Carrier Control Point (CCP) located at a Police Station normally. The alert to sound the siren, the dreaded "Attack Warning RED" would have came from the UKWMO National Wartime HQ in Preston, via the Handel and WB 400/600/1400 Carrier network.

what makes you think they are cold war? surely its more likely they were installed in WW2 and kept on to warn of nuclear strikes?

 

[krela]

what makes you think they are cold war? surely its more likely they were installed in WW2 and kept on to warn of nuclear strikes?

Unlikely given that WW2 air raid sirens were hand driven by local ARPs not electronic...

http://www.northants.police.uk/museum_new/exhibits/11/siren.htm

The ones commonly seen in these photos are all cold war era.

 

[Reaperman]

Unlikely given that WW2 air raid sirens were hand driven by local ARPs not electronic...

http://www.northants.police.uk/museum_new/exhibits/11/siren.htm

The ones commonly seen in these photos are all cold war era.

I thought that both types were in use in WW2, Though I'm not an expert. Though come to think of it electronic ones may I suppose have been vulnrable to damage of the electricity system.

 

[Foxylady]

Quote from the link given by Krela:

"By turning the handle, special "horns" inside the machine with air-holes in them were caused to rotate at great speed, thus creating a deafening wailing noise..."

That's interesting. When I was a kid, the siren was used for Borstal escapees and whenever we heard it my parents used to call it 'The Bull'. Is that because of the sound it made or because it had horns inside, I wonder?
That was a genuine question, btw, not a funny!
Great sound effect on that link, too.

Foxy