ty-croes01

TY CROES, ANGLESEY T.E.R.A. (Trials Establishment Royal Artillery) Redesignated T.E.G.W.R.A. (Trials Establishment Guided Weapons Royal Artillery) Researched, compiled & edited by: George MILLIE (49B) Notes in italics are added to assist any reader who is unfamiliar with the terminology Introduction Quite by accident, in casual conversation with my old mate from AAS Arborfield, Brian BARBER (49B), I learned that during the period 1953 to October 1954 he had been a member of the REME permanent staff at T.E.R.A. Ty Croes, on the Isle of Anglesey. He and I, both of the same intake at Arborfield, had served our apprenticeship as Telecommunications Mechanics, at the end of which I was posted to 5 AA Group Workshops REME at Newark, Nottinghamshire and he to 5 Central Workshops REME at Old Dalby, Leicestershire.
During his incumbency at Ty Croes Brian befriended a REME National Serviceman, Jack BASON (right), who by coincidence had very recently been in touch with him again and reminisced about old times. He was also kind enough to send Brian not only the photo of himself taken during his short period of service, but also two group photographs of the period of REME personnel (below) stationed at Ty Croes. It is regretted that none of the faces in both photographs are named and it is equally hoped that visitors to this website may recognise themselves and/or their former colleagues and notify the Editorial Team to enable this unfortunate situation to be addressed.


(back row, 2^nd from the left) Peter DEWART REME (National Service)

(above & below) photographs: Jack BASON, REME


2^nd June, 1953 – all dressed up for the parade at Bangor to celebrate the coronation of H.M. Queen Elisabeth II
Note: it is thought that in the front rank, 3^rd from the left, stands “Junior” BOWYER

My interest now somewhat aroused I attempted to conduct some research to discover more about this “hush’hush” unit hidden away in the back-blocks of Anglesey, and invited former inmates to contact me with information and photographs. Although the numbers doing so have been few, my quest nonetheless has been more fruitful that expected. Discovering the camp’s precise geographical location proved to be elusive, even Google Earth erroneously pinpointed Ty Croes approximately in the centre of Anglesey which logic dictated would have to be incorrect. After all, live-firing of weapons from any location, if only for the sake of safety, would have to be conducted seaward rather than over habitation. Searching the Internet for “Ty Croes” proved rather fruitless, merely resulting in information about the Anglesey Racing Circuit which a few years ago had been established on the site of the former “Army Camp” as locals still refer to it. All but one of the buildings were dismantled and moved to another location to be used for industrial purposes. But persistence pays, and with the aid of my son I located a map (below) which provided the information I was seeking.



Armed with the certain knowledge that (a) the site is now more widely known as a racing circuit and (b) it is located roughly south of Rhosneigr, Google Earth produced an image (bottom of next page, marked with a yellow pin), albeit a bit out of focus and partly under cloud, but at least we now know “There it was, gone!”

Incoming 5^th July 2007 - Brian JONES (inter alia) I just read the article on P&P (REME Past & Present Forum) about TEGWRA. I never served there but I recall in 1963 when I was stationed in Pembroke Dock with 42 Regimentt Royal Artillery LAD (Light Aid Detachment) we took one of our 5.5s (medium field piece) to Ty Croes for a week and as our lads fired out over the sea the gunners of TEGWRA tracked them . I can't say what for or how as I was a young L/Cpl at the time and more interested with a WRAC girl who worked in the cookhouse. Cheers Jonah FEOFA reg no 22 and, responding to my enquiry concerning TEGWRA… (inter alia) TEGWRA was, I’m pretty sure, Trials Establishment Guided Weapons Royal Artillery although I spent ages thinking it was a Welsh word because Teg is Nose. All the best Jonah 6^th July 2007 - Brian BARBER (inter alia) Maybe it stands for TRIALS ESTABLISHMENT GUIDED WEAPONS ROYAL ARTILLERY. They were testing early Guided Weapons while I was there! Brian B 7th July 2007 - C. Tony VELLA (inter alia) Got your name from Alan Cook [Canada]. Apparently you were at TEGWRA in Ty-Croes in your past. I was there from late 62 to 66 when the regiment went to Larkhill to get ready for shipping to Hong Kong. I went with them to HK too. Do get in touch, if you have SKYPE, we can talk free of charge. I married locally at Rhosneigr, and still have a son living out there who we visit annually. The Ty-Croes camp had been totally removed some years back, and is now a car racing circuit of sorts. Below is a lighthouse on Anglesey. Cheers, C. Tony Vella, MRBL July 2004 – Tony with the lighthouse in the background and, in response to my reply... (inter alia) Ty-Croes is actually right on the water, next door to Rhosneigr. The Trials Establishment Guided Weapons Royal Artillery site there was already going full blast testing the Thunderbird when I got there, and I have no idea how long they had been at that site. The only pictures I could donate from that era are pictures of myself on my bunk bed [REME, Tels Tech (Telecommunications Technician) taking care of mostly the Doppler and WREBUS missile break up systems] and a very close friend of mine who worked on the RADAR systems [also REME]. If you want to show our photos, I would be more than happy to send them to you. They are dated 1963-ish. 7^th July 2007 – Alan COOK (inter alia) I read the letter you sent to Greg Peck at REME P&P, and recalled a conversation I had with a guy by the name of Tony Vella. I met Tony in Palm Springs last year; he lives in Los Angeles so we met for a cold one whilst I was there. I will attach his email that he sent to me. I am in British Columbia. I hope he can give you lots for your site.... Regards, Alan Cook (ex 60B) 8^th July 2007 – Terry MARGETTS (inter alia) I was stationed at Ty Croes from April 1964 to my ROD (run out date/discharge) April 1967. I was one of the first ECEs (Electronic Control Equipment technicians) to go to BAC (British Aircraft Corporation) at Stevenage to be trained on SAGW2 or Thunderbird 2. There was a large collection of SNCOs (Senior NCOs) and a few Corporals on the course and I was made up (promoted) while on the course at BAC. So when I actually arrived at Ty Croes for the first time, it was to join the Sgts Mess. I spent most of my time assembling missiles for both training and flight. This was done in a building away from most at the bottom of the hill. The building can still be seen when Channel 5 uses the Ty Croes circuit to test cars. The building is the one at the end of the main straight beyond the big right hand turn. We spent most of our time on what was called SUET trials (Service User Evaluation Trials) which mean doing all sorts of stupid things to try to make equipment fail so that the manufacturers could have another go. I am surprised there are photos in existence because our building was TOP SECRET. All the EMER's (Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Regulations) were in red binders and we were searched on entry and exit. There are lots of memories and I will start to jot some of them down and let you have them in time - that's if you want them. With regards, Terry Margetts ex Sgt REME ECE 10^th July 2007 - and… (inter alia) Jotted a few notes down ... please see attached Word files. Want any more let me know. Cheers Terry Margetts (NOTE: Terry’s definitive account follows on the next page) 6^th February 2008 – Mike DICKERSON and Dave DICKERSON How nice to discover the article about Ty Croes. I think it is my father mentioned in the piece about missile telemetry Dickerson not Dickinson as I remember Idris and I am sure I met him more than once. I remember going down to Rhosneigr beach to watch the missiles being fired but hardly saw them as they took off so quickly! He worked at Ty Croes from about 1958 to 1967 when he transferred to RRE in Malvern. The family still live in the Malvern area but sadly Dad passed on in 1991 only 2 years after retirement. Perhaps you could pass this on to Terry. My brother David will love to see the article. Regards Mike Dickerson.