RAF Trimingham
Encyclopedia
RAF Trimingham is a type 93 radar station situated on the coast in the English
county of Norfolk
. The site is located on the coast road between Cromer
and Mundesley
, 1 kilometre east of the village of Trimingham
. The radar station is a satellite station of RAF Neatishead
. This radar station is controlled and maintained by a section of Radar Technicians and Operators and supported by a team of Ground Engineers. Trimingham provides extensive coverage of the East coast of the United Kingdom and helps contribute to the recognised air picture and defence of the United Kingdom. The type 93 became operational on the site in April 1997.
. Oboe worked using two stations at different and well-separated locations in England
to transmit
a signal to a Mosquito
Pathfinder
bomber
carrying a radio transponder. The transponder reflected the signals, which were then received by the two stations. The round-trip time of each signal gave the distance to the bombers and guided them to their target.
In April 1942, Trimingham was transferred from the authority of the War Office
over to the Air Ministry
. The site had now been installed with a Type 54 radar on a 200 foot tower. The operating system was known as a Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL)/CD station. By 1945 the 'Oboe' equipment had been removed and In 1947 Trimingham was placed in the Northern Signals Area under No 90 Group. Between 1948 and 1949 the site was placed under care and maintenance. In January 1949 the site was re-activated and in 1950 was renamed No 432 Signals Unit (No 432 SU). In June 1950 RAF Trimingham was selected to be a Centimetric Early Warning Station (CEW). Between this event and 1961 the radar station had various systems installed at the site and operated constantly as the eyes and ears of the UK’s early warning systems until February 1964 when the site was mothballed. By 1965 the station had been largely dismantled and all the radar arrays had been removed apart from the Type 54 behind Beacon Hill Cottage but that had been removed by 1972.
decided to re-purchase the site. The RAF installed a Marconi Type 91 Martello radar operated by No Signals Unit acting as a Ready Platform (along with RAF Hopton and RAF Weybourne) for the UKADGE Series II (United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment) Radar System controlled from the R3 underground control centre at RAF Neatishead. The guardhouse was converted into staff accommodation and offices and basic mess facilities. In May 1996 the Marconi
Type 91 'Martello' radar at Trimingham was sold to the Turkish Ministry of Defence
and it was replaced by what used to be known as No 86 Signals Unit, with a Type 93 (Plessey type ADGE-305, NATO designation TGRI 50011) that had been moved from Hopton
when that base was closed. The Type 93 was originally a mobile installation (however it never actually obtained UK Dept of Transport authorisation to be allowed on UK roads under its own power and anytime it had to be moved, civilian low-loader transport specialists had to be contracted in), but at Trimingham it was fixed to a permanent mounting, due to constant cracking issues with the frame and mobile trailer. The Kevlon dome composed of irregular polygons erected around it and became known locally as the Trimingham golf ball.
Today the Type 93 is still operational and feeds constant data back to the Control and Reporting Centres (CRC's) at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland and RAF Scampton
in Lincolnshire. RAF Neatishead
has now been downgraded to a remote radar head which is actually at Trimingham. Neatishead only being retained as the circuits from Trimingham pass through Neatishead
dials swung up to 150 mph as motorists drove past, and a local garage owner who runs the nearest garage at Mundesley
, said he had dealt with 30 calls over a couple of months. Eventually the Ministry of Defence admitted that the Type 93 radar spinning inside the dome had been out of alignment between November 2005 and February 2006, Having previously denied problems, the MoD said it would consider claims for compensation after an inquiry found the radar was "out of alignment".
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...
county of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. The site is located on the coast road between Cromer
Cromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
and Mundesley
Mundesley
Mundesley is a coastal village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 20.3 miles north-north east of Norwich, 7.3 miles south east of Cromer and 136 miles north east of London. The village lies 5.6 miles north-north east of the town of North Walsham. The nearest...
, 1 kilometre east of the village of Trimingham
Trimingham
Trimingham is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is north of North Walsham, east of Cromer and north of the city of Norwich. The village straddles the B1159 coastal road between Cromer and Mundesley. Near-by road communications with Gimingham are the A140...
. The radar station is a satellite station of RAF Neatishead
RAF Neatishead
RRH Neatishead, is a Royal Air Force military radar station in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, and was established during the Second World War. It consists of the main technical site, and a number of remote, and sometimes unmanned sites....
. This radar station is controlled and maintained by a section of Radar Technicians and Operators and supported by a team of Ground Engineers. Trimingham provides extensive coverage of the East coast of the United Kingdom and helps contribute to the recognised air picture and defence of the United Kingdom. The type 93 became operational on the site in April 1997.
History
The radar station was established on the cliff top at Trimingham by the British Army in the latter part of 1941. It was used to detect German E-Boats and low flying aircraft and was then equipped with a CD Mk.4 radar. The station also operated as an Oboe Navigation StationOboe (navigation)
Oboe was a British aerial blind bombing targeting system in World War II, based on radio transponder technology. Oboe accurately measured the distance to an aircraft, and gave the pilot guidance on whether or not they were flying along a pre-selected circular route. The route was only 35 yards...
. Oboe worked using two stations at different and well-separated locations in 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...
to transmit
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
a signal to a Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
Pathfinder
Pathfinder (RAF)
The Pathfinders were elite squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing...
bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
carrying a radio transponder. The transponder reflected the signals, which were then received by the two stations. The round-trip time of each signal gave the distance to the bombers and guided them to their target.
In April 1942, Trimingham was transferred from the authority of the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
over to 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...
. The site had now been installed with a Type 54 radar on a 200 foot tower. The operating system was known as a Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL)/CD station. By 1945 the 'Oboe' equipment had been removed and In 1947 Trimingham was placed in the Northern Signals Area under No 90 Group. Between 1948 and 1949 the site was placed under care and maintenance. In January 1949 the site was re-activated and in 1950 was renamed No 432 Signals Unit (No 432 SU). In June 1950 RAF Trimingham was selected to be a Centimetric Early Warning Station (CEW). Between this event and 1961 the radar station had various systems installed at the site and operated constantly as the eyes and ears of the UK’s early warning systems until February 1964 when the site was mothballed. By 1965 the station had been largely dismantled and all the radar arrays had been removed apart from the Type 54 behind Beacon Hill Cottage but that had been removed by 1972.
1981 to date
In 1981 the RAF Trmingham was closed and the site had been sold and the guardhouse converted into a private house, but by the latter part of the 1980s the now Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
decided to re-purchase the site. The RAF installed a Marconi Type 91 Martello radar operated by No Signals Unit acting as a Ready Platform (along with RAF Hopton and RAF Weybourne) for the UKADGE Series II (United Kingdom Air Defence Ground Environment) Radar System controlled from the R3 underground control centre at RAF Neatishead. The guardhouse was converted into staff accommodation and offices and basic mess facilities. In May 1996 the Marconi
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
Type 91 'Martello' radar at Trimingham was sold to the Turkish Ministry of Defence
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. They consist of the Army, the Navy , and the Air Force...
and it was replaced by what used to be known as No 86 Signals Unit, with a Type 93 (Plessey type ADGE-305, NATO designation TGRI 50011) that had been moved from Hopton
Hopton
There are a number of places in England known as Hopton:*Hopton, Derbyshire*Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk*Hopton Cangeford, Shropshire*Hopton Castle, Shropshire*Hopton Heath, Shropshire*Hopton Wafers, Shropshire*Hopton, Staffordshire*Hopton, Suffolk...
when that base was closed. The Type 93 was originally a mobile installation (however it never actually obtained UK Dept of Transport authorisation to be allowed on UK roads under its own power and anytime it had to be moved, civilian low-loader transport specialists had to be contracted in), but at Trimingham it was fixed to a permanent mounting, due to constant cracking issues with the frame and mobile trailer. The Kevlon dome composed of irregular polygons erected around it and became known locally as the Trimingham golf ball.
Today the Type 93 is still operational and feeds constant data back to the Control and Reporting Centres (CRC's) at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland and RAF Scampton
RAF Scampton
Royal Air Force Station Scampton is a Royal Air Force station situated north of Lincoln in England, near the village of Scampton, on the site of an old First World War landing field.-First World War:...
in Lincolnshire. RAF Neatishead
RAF Neatishead
RRH Neatishead, is a Royal Air Force military radar station in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, and was established during the Second World War. It consists of the main technical site, and a number of remote, and sometimes unmanned sites....
has now been downgraded to a remote radar head which is actually at Trimingham. Neatishead only being retained as the circuits from Trimingham pass through Neatishead
Controversy
In November 2006, the station became involved in controversy when local motorist on the coast road blamed the station for causing car engines and lights to cut out. SpeedometerSpeedometer
A speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
dials swung up to 150 mph as motorists drove past, and a local garage owner who runs the nearest garage at Mundesley
Mundesley
Mundesley is a coastal village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 20.3 miles north-north east of Norwich, 7.3 miles south east of Cromer and 136 miles north east of London. The village lies 5.6 miles north-north east of the town of North Walsham. The nearest...
, said he had dealt with 30 calls over a couple of months. Eventually the Ministry of Defence admitted that the Type 93 radar spinning inside the dome had been out of alignment between November 2005 and February 2006, Having previously denied problems, the MoD said it would consider claims for compensation after an inquiry found the radar was "out of alignment".
External links
- http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafneatishead/aboutus/history.cfm
- http://www.secret-bases.co.uk/secret5.htm