Sheerness - RNXS
Emergency Port Control
Sheerness Area
The RNXS (Royal Naval Auxiliary
Service) was set up in 1962 as a result of the Cold War nuclear threat
to Britain, particularly her ports. The role of the auxiliary men was
to ensure quick and effective evacuation of major ports and to get any
larger and faster ships as far out to sea as possible, and to arrange
a safe anchorage for any remaining ships. The RNXS were also vital to
the co-ordination of evacuate ships into convoys and to ensure that
communication between ships and control bases was maintained.
One of the features found in this control centre was an EMI filter.
EMI or electromagnetic interference occurs if an electrical circuit is
interrupted by an electromagnetic field. This is certainly the case
following a nuclear explosion, which releases a massive
electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which is powerful enough to knock out any
electrical circuits and systems. An EMI filter was used to channel the
huge surge of electromagnetism from an EMP to prevent disruption of
any electrical circuits.