Orkney Image Library

The Black Building/ Repeater Station/ housed the G.O.R {Gun Operations Room} and S.O.R {Squadron operations Room} during WW2. The two services combined under the one roof. The information gathered from the O.P's {Observation post}situated at strategic points throughout the Islands and reporting on possible enemy activity in their sector, this information would then be sent to the operations roon to plot the incoming enemy vessels or aircraft, the signals would then be repeated, to either the fighter squadrons to intercept the aircraft, or to the coastal guns in the event of a sea born invasion. When the Germans invaded the Nordic countries the threat of invasion greatly increased. The guns at Carness practised schrapnell firing over the sea in preparation for such an invasion. Beaches were identified as possible landing sites and anti tank and other defences put in place. All piers that could be used by the Germans in the event of an invasion were mined with explosive charges wired ready for detonation. These operations were all co-ordinated from the Repeater Station or the Black Building as I knew it as a boy. It would not be unreasonable to assume from the picture above, that this would be one of the plotting rooms where the Duty OP would observe the plots on the tables below and direct his fighter squadrons or the coastal guns to their targets.