[R-390] Ft. Devens R390 training

[Mark Huss]

As far as I know, there was never a FLR-9 Antenna or system on Ft. 
Devens. Training for FLR-9’s took place either at Homestead Fl. Or San 
Antonio. There were TRQ-29? DF sets that use R-725/URR receivers, a 
Goniometer, and about twenty-four 1.25” by 18’ masts arrayed in a circle 
over a screen ground. It was located across from the old, old NCO Club 
(two revisions back) located on Mirror Lake.

Between the School Quad and the Ayer Gate were located three HF Cone 
Dipole Wire antennas arranged 120 degrees apart. It was used for live 
copy by 05H (Hogs) Morse Code Intercept Operators. Each Operator had an 
R-390A/URR and a ASR-33 Teletype for copying code. Practice copy was 
also fed to these receivers by racks of Multi-couplers and a wideband 
shortwave transmitter fed by wideband tape recorders.

The School Quad is still standing, but closed off. It was not the WW1 
hospital, though I do not know the original location of it. I suspect 
that it was located at the old Warehouse area near the dump ( where you 
jumped the fence into Ayer back in 68). Pictures of the WWI Hospital 
shows it to be wood. The Brick Quad was built in the 1930’s as Barracks. 
It included Mess Halls. And yes, Hale Hall is haunted. Across from the 
School Quad are brick Officers Quarters, also built in the Thirties. 
These were sold for a pretty penny after Devens was closed.

Yes, Goddard did shoot his first few liquid-fuel rockets from near the 
new Hospital. Intelligence School students erected a monument at the 
site in the eighties. It is now restricted from public access due to it 
being too close to the hospital, a State Prison Hospital now.

The Sniper Tree has been removed from behind the Main Ayer Gate after 
the post was closed. It was clearly visible to anyone entering the gate, 
located between two pine trees. Built during WWI as a training aid, it 
looked like a shell-shattered tree trunk. Made of concrete, there was a 
small hole at the base for a person to enter, and several gun-ports. 
Even after a hurricane took out one of the pine trees, exposing the 
‘shattered’ top of the trunk, it was almost impossible to tell it from a 
real tree trunk. Indeed, when the Grounds Maintenance people were 
cleaning up after the Hurricane, one worker took a chain-saw to it with 
spectacular results!

Oh, and yes, the Man-Traps are still there on the Golf Course! Made 
looking for balls in the trees to north of the fairway a bit exciting! 
Built during WWII, when parts of Devens was used for a POW camp, they 
formed deep pits to trap unwary Golfers!

Another point of history. As a major point of entry for returning 
Doughboys coming back from Europe, the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 hit 
the post hard. Thousands died in the hospital there.

Oh, there were actually five gates, not counting the new one opening 
onto Route 2. Shirley Gate located by the old WW2 Hospital, which should 
have been still up in 68. Ayer Gate, what you called the Main Gate. The 
Commissary Gate, which led to Enlisted quarters used during WW2, 
converted after the war to civilian housing. Shaker Village Gate, off 
what was Salenero Circle. And the Airfield Gate, which led to the old 
Army Air Corp airfield. From 1939 P-40’s were stationed there. It was 
abanded after Moore Army Airfield was built. It is now Shirley Airport. 
Moore Army Airfield is closed, the runways torn up.

Sorry for the off-topic post. Ft. Devens was one of the nicest posts in 
the country. Though small, it was a pity when it closed down.



Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com wrote:

>Steve,
>
>I do not know what an FLR-9 is. I just do not remember the designation.
>
>In 71 - 73, I did not know of a big elephant cage antenna at Devens. 
>These things are huge, they put whole two story operations
>buildings inside them. I do not know what there military designation was.
>
>A smaller circular antenna maybe 500 foot across and a bunch of vertical
>antenna poles used for Direction finding, were pretty much mobile units.
>I do not know the military designation for this one either.
>
>They had at least one set up for the training DF operators and maintenance 
>techs.
>It was over in what you now call the national guard area. There would likely 
>be
>nothing left to identify that site. Just another open field with power lines 
>to it.
>
>There were two gates to Fort Devens from Ayer.
>
>Between Shirley and Ayer was the main gate.
>About a 1/4 mile in the gate and to the right side was a quadrant of 
>buildings and a parade ground. The buildings were concrete brick. had open porches 
>around the inside of the quad. The parade ground was across the street from the 
>quad buildings.
>These were WW I hospital buildings and considered haunted. I have heard these 
>have all been torn down.
>
>About a 1/4 mile in the gate and to the left up the road that went right 
>between the school house quad and the parade field was the way to the old WW II 
>barracks.
>There were some brick senior NCO housing in the area.
>
>The old wood two story buildings were the students stayed. I was down there
>for a year in 68, 69. A mess hall called Connies served at least 4,000 guys
>every day. It was consolidated mess #4. It was the only one left a Devens 
>then.
>
>This indicated that once upon a time there were at least 3 others serving as 
>many
>other guys. The barracks were whole big block. 
>
>We use to walk over to the base fence along the rail road yards and into Ayer
>from the barracks. The rail yard at Ayer was huge. All kinds of logistical 
>stuff coming in and out of Devens during WW II. By the 70's it was all down 
>sized.
>
>ASA had the school house there for 05 dittiies, 98 traffic analysis and 33 
>radio maintenance. We were all of course in the collection business.
>
>About a mile up the road from the main Ayer Gate on a hill top was the new 
>barracks built in the late 60's and early 70's. This road continued across post 
>to Route 2  the "back gate."
>
>Did you know Goddard launched the first liquid fuel rockets from Ft Devens.
>That site was near the golf course. The gold course was considered one of the 
>best in the state. Every politician and business exec that could wangle a 
>base pass wanted to come out and play a few holes. If was built by the army corp. 
>of engineers. There was a good size stockade on base that provided lots of 
>labor to keep the greens.
>
>
>
>What was considered the old hospital area over by Shirley is now a state 
>prison.
>There was a gate over there called Shirley Gate.
>
>Do you know where the other area was off post used for Vietnam Training.
>John Wayne filmed the Green Brett over there. Every one coming out of school 
>had to spend a week in the "bush" over there before getting "out of school" 
>and assigned to a duty station. Yes Sir, I understand a week of January at Ft 
>Devens
>is just like July in Viet Nam Sir. I am sure I will learn some very useful 
>escape and
>evasion lessons Sir. We were remfs, knew we were remfs, If things were going 
>so bad in the war that us remfs were about to be captured, we were wondering 
>about the leadership being taught at the 90 day OCS wonder school.
>
>
>
>
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