Page 74 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

Blaauwberg, and Hangklip to provide coverage of Table Bay and False Bay.

Early in 1942 the Special Signals Service (SSS) was formed to staff the stations. The
Service consisted initially of about 40 selected women, most of whom were graduates from

the University of Cape Town. The information from the radar stations regarding the
presence of possible U-boats, and movements of convoys, naval vessels, and aircraft was

fed to the Filter Room (known as “Freddie”) initially located in the basement of the Old
Mutual Building on Darling Street, and from 1943 in the Castle. (Figs. 3.2 & 3.3).

Information about U-boats was relayed to naval and air force units for action. The

information was also used to warn approaching vessels about the run of the coast as none
of the lighthouses was operating, and to provide range data to the coastal artillery.

Associated with radar was radio communication, and complexes of radio sending/receiving
masts existed at Simon’s Town on the Red Hill plateau, Slangkop – Kommetjie, Milnerton,

and Seal Island.

Air Force

Soon after the beginning of the War the SAAF had control of a complex of airfields and

landing grounds around Cape Town. These included Youngsfield, Brooklyn (Ysterplaat),
Eerste Rivier, Fisantekraal, and Darling (Langebaanweg). Wingfield was given by Cape

Town Municipality to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm for the duration of the war and the
Royal Naval Air Station was named HMS Malagas. Aircraft based at these fields were

involved in both submarine detection and convoy surveillance. Youngsfield was the base
st
of the 1 Anti-Aircraft Battery, Coast Artillery Brigade. In 1942 a bombing and machine
gun range was established at Swartklip using targets both on the beach and in the sea. The

air-sea rescue component of the SAAF - 12 Motor Boat Wing - was based at Table Bay
and Gordon’s Bay.

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