AIR10/6200 & AIR2/12264
SARAH (Search and Rescue and Homing) beacon
notes by Paul Fuller
AIR10/6200
gave technical details on SARAH (Search And
Rescue And Homing), which had been developed for the Ministry of
Supply for the Navy, RAF and civilian ships and aircraft, and
which was a standard NATO piece of equipment. There is an
excellent photo and diagrams showing where the detecting aerials
for SARAH had to be positioned on search and rescue aircraft and
helicopters.
When operating at its maximum power of 15 Watts SARAH could be
detected up to 60 Nautical Miles away by an aircraft flying at 10,000
feet, and up to 6 miles away by a rescue launch with a 30 foot
aerial. The beacon could last for 20 hours on full power and I
think it could also be used as a telephone.
AIR2/12264
described how SARAH was chosen instead of TALBE (which
was preferred by the Royal Navy), had been developed by Utra
Electric Limited of Western Avenue [the A40], Acton, W3 and
tested at Boscombe Down in December 1955. The British Joint
communications-Electronics Board at the Admiralty (minutes were
copied to the Air Ministry).
There was an interesting comment by Wing Commander M.C. Bunting
in a loose minute dated 27 September 1955 which said that "accurate
fixes will not always be readily available at low level.
Navigational errors of up to 4 to 5 miles might occur".
Hugely ironically SARAH had also been tested at Wright Field near
Dayton Ohio 26/7/54-3/9/54 by the USAF.
I tried to track down SARAH's role with the Atomic Research unit
and was very pleased to find out that there was an Atomic Energy
Research unit at Hamilton Dock Lowestoft. File MAF209/315 gives
details of this unit's work but there is no mention of balloons.
The unit investigated the effect of radioactive waste on fishing
stocks.