GCHQ Scarborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids GCHQ Scarborough |
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| Part of Government Communications Headquarters | |
| Located near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom | |
Aerials, Irton Moor Part of the wireless station known as 'GCHQ Scarborough'
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 GCHQ Scarborough
Location in North Yorkshire
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| Coordinates | 54°16′01″N 0°26′50″W / 54.26694°N 0.44722°W |
| Type | Satellite Ground Station |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1943 |
GCHQ Scarborough is a very important place near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It's a special station that listens to messages from space, called a satellite ground station. It is run by a secret government group called GCHQ. Many people believe it's the longest-running place in the world for listening to secret messages.
Contents
History of GCHQ Scarborough
Early Days and World War I
The Royal Navy first set up a special radio station in Scarborough in 1912. Since 1914, it has been listening to secret messages, known as signals intelligence (Sigint). During the First World War, the station's main job was to listen to messages from the German navy. This helped protect the East Coast of England from attacks.
After the war ended in 1918, the station started listening to messages from other countries' governments too. In 1932, there was a plan to close the Scarborough station. But luckily, the plan was stopped, and the station kept working from 1935.
World War II and the Bismarck
When Second World War started, the Scarborough station became a "Y-station." This meant it was very important for listening to German navy and air force messages. It also helped find where enemy signals were coming from. The station had a mix of civilian workers and military staff. Later, women from the Women's Royal Naval Service joined them.
In May 1941, the station played a huge part in finding the German battleship Bismarck. This helped sink the ship. The Prime Minister at the time, Winston Churchill, even thanked them for their amazing work!
Moving to a New Home and the Cold War
The station moved to its current location in 1943. Back then, it was a special "bomb-proof bunker" hidden underground. After World War II, the Cold War began. Scarborough became the main place for listening to messages from Soviet navy ships.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, a very tense time, the station listened to Soviet ship messages. These important reports were sent straight to the White House in the United States. In 1965, the station became part of GCHQ. It was then known as CSOS Irton Moor.
New Buildings and Modern Times
Work on a new, bigger building started in 1972. By 1974, all the operations had moved from the old bunker to the new building. After the Iron Curtain fell in the 1990s, the role of listening to secret messages changed. Other GCHQ stations, like GCHQ Cheadle and GCHQ Culmhead, moved their work to Scarborough in 1995 and 1998.
In July 2001, the site officially changed its name to GCHQ Scarborough. In 2007, it became a protected site. This means it's a crime for anyone to try to get into the site without permission.
In 2014, the station celebrated 100 years of service! Charles, Prince of Wales, even visited to mark the occasion. It's still known as one of the longest-running listening stations in the world. In 2016, the base received £42 million in funding. This money will help it become a major training center for GCHQ in the north of England.
What GCHQ Scarborough Does
GCHQ Scarborough is a busy place. In 2018, more than 200 people worked there. They have plans to increase the staff to 300 people by 2020. The site also has a special backup system. This means if the main GCHQ site in Cheltenham ever had problems, Scarborough could take over.
The station has a new building called the ATTIC. This stands for the Alan Turing Training and Innovation Centre. It helps train people for GCHQ jobs across the northern part of the UK.
See also
- British intelligence agencies
- GCHQ Bude
