RAF Bawdsey
Encyclopedia
RAF Bawdsey was an RAF
station situated on the eastern coast in Suffolk
, England
.
Bawdsey Manor
, dating from 1886, was taken over in March 1936 by the Air Ministry
for developing the Chain Home
(CH) RDF (radar
) system. Also known as Bawdsey Research Station (BRS)
, the first CH station was built there, characterised by eight tall masts, four for transmitting and four for receiving.
The station's Superintendent was initially Robert Watson-Watt
, later followed by A.P. Rowe
.
When war was declared in September 1939, the development activities at Bawdsey were relocated, first to Dundee
, Scotland, and later to Worth Matravers
near Swanage
in Dorset
on the southern coast of England, where they became the Telecommunications Research Establishment
(TRE). The CH station at Bawdsey remained, and the overall site was designated RAF Bawdsey.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station situated on the eastern coast in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Bawdsey Manor
Bawdsey Manor
Bawdsey Manor stands at a prominent position at the mouth of the River Deben close to the village of Bawdsey in Suffolk, England, about 118 km northeast of London....
, dating from 1886, was taken over in March 1936 by the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
for developing the Chain Home
Chain Home
Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stations built by the British before and during the Second World War. The system otherwise known as AMES Type 1 consisted of radar fixed on top of a radio tower mast, called a 'station' to provide long-range detection of...
(CH) RDF (radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
) system. Also known as Bawdsey Research Station (BRS)
, the first CH station was built there, characterised by eight tall masts, four for transmitting and four for receiving.
The station's Superintendent was initially Robert Watson-Watt
Robert Watson-Watt
Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, KCB, FRS, FRAeS is considered by many to be the "inventor of radar". Development of radar, initially nameless, was first started elsewhere but greatly expanded on 1 September 1936 when Watson-Watt became...
, later followed by A.P. Rowe
Albert Percival Rowe
Albert Percival Rowe was a British physicist and senior research administrator who had a major role in the development of Radar before and during World War II....
.
When war was declared in September 1939, the development activities at Bawdsey were relocated, first to Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland, and later to Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. The village is situated on the cliffs west of Swanage. It comprises limestone cottages and farm houses and is built around a pond, which is a regular feature on postcards of the Isle of Purbeck.The civil parish stretches...
near Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
on the southern coast of England, where they became the Telecommunications Research Establishment
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force during World War II and the years that followed. The name was...
(TRE). The CH station at Bawdsey remained, and the overall site was designated RAF Bawdsey.