The Radio Security Service Memorial ARS, Gi5TKA, which was newly formed in January this year, carried out its first activation at the site of Gilnahirk Y Station, near Belfast, on Saturday 8 May using the special event callsign GB0GLS.   The site is now a gated area of luxury apartments called Gilly Court Manor.

Despite dreadful weather, heavy rain and wind, an operational station was setup in the back seat of a car and a simple wire dipole erected with a seven-metre mast which got us on air by 10:45.

It had been decided to operate CW only in celebration of the mode that was used in the Y station when it was operational, and rather than offer the usual 599 TU responses favoured by many SES proper rag chews were followed through.

This led to some highlights.  One station reported having read George Busby’s book ‘Spies at Gilnahirk’, which incidentally is about to have this fourth edition reprint.  It is always pleasing when the calling station is aware of the SES theme.

A memorable station was worked in Norway who was running just 2 watts, Vlad LB8IG/P. Several repeats had to be requested, but it was a delight to hear that he was using a Paraset transceiver in celebration of Norwegian resistance during the Second World War.  How appropriate that he made contact with Gilnahirk!

Up until 13:00 BST some thirteen stations were worked from England, France, Germany, Norway and Spain on 40 metres; we were about to change the antenna for 20 metres when competitions filled the band bringing our operation to a halt, by which time we were getting cold and damp.  An annual activation has taken place on this site for the past five years, and it was good that RSSM ARS could take the lead on this occasion.  

After the event later that day, one of the residents who now occupy Gilly Court Manor, the old Y Station site, sent a text to me in morse code – it translated ‘Long live Gilly.   Gilly was the teleprinter name at the old Y station.  Isn’t it great that the residents of Gilly Court Manor appreciate the history of their site which overlooks Belfast from the Castlereagh Hills?

Photograph from a previous activation with good weather conditions.