In 1959 consideration was given to re floating the Red Sands Fort and bringing the towers ashore, but the costs were prohibitive.

Radio Invicta began broadcasting from Red Sands Fort on 3rd June 1964. Following the tragic death of their owner Tom Pepper (Harry Featherbee) Radio Invicta became KING Radio in March 1965 but the station failed to attract an audience or sufficient advertisers. A new station Radio 390 opened from the Fort on 23rd September 1965.

After a protracted legal battle Radio 390 finally closed on 28th July 1967, but a caretaker crew stayed until August to remove all equipment.

In 1966 an episode of the TV series Danger Man, ‘ Not So Jolly Roger’ starring Patrick McGoohan, was partly filmed on Red Sands Fort.

See Offshore Radio on the Big (and Small) Screen Gallery

The BBC TV series Dr Who filmed part of the episode  Fury From The Deep at Red Sands in 1968, with the Fort supposedly a gas drilling platform.

Red Sands Development's Seatribe Project were in occupation in 1969,and when money ran out the Fort was abandoned again.

Red Sands Radio, a  10 day licensed RSL (Restricted Service Licence) station, began broadcasting from Red Sands Fort  on 14th July 2007 forty years after the last transmissions from the Fort. However, subsequent transmissions from Red Sands Radio had to be made from a location in  Whitstable Harbour after the Fort sustained winter storm damage in 2008.

A registered charity - Project Redsand  - has, since 2003, been making attempts to halt the decay of Red Sands Fort and to refurbish and preserve it as a national heritage site.

Above: two views of Red Sands Fort when it was being used to house offshore radio stations

Sea Structures

Thanks to Martin van der Ven for allowing us to use some additional information from the Broadcasting Fleet section of the Offshore Radio Guide  in this Gallery

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