Chain Home Low Station Chl13a |
| Hob Uid: 1413132 | |
Location :
Devon
East Devon
Beer
|
| Grid Ref : SY2220088200 |
| Summary : The site of a Royal Air Force Chain Home Low radar station at Beer Head established by March 1941. Chain Home Low (CHL) stations provided early warning of approaching low-flying enemy aircraft during the Second World War. CHL sites typically comprised two gantries carrying the transmitter and receiver aerial arrays, a transmitter and receiver hut, a standby set house for the reserve power, and a general purposes hut. Defence measures installed at radar stations included Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacements, pillboxes, road blocks and air raid shelters. The site was upgraded in 1942 and fitted with centimetric radar to become a Chain Home Extra Low station, called site K165. Aerial photography from 1986 shows the base for the receiver block and four other structures located at SY 223 882. |
More information : RADAR STATION. SRF, with location plan and aerial photograph. SRF, with 6 photographs. South Down Common. Beer Head. Chain Home Low. Recorder- B. Horner, and B. Taylor. (1)
A Chain Home Low radar station located at Beer Head (SY 224 879), called site CHL13A. It was established by 03-MAR-1941. Chain Home Low (CHL) stations provided early warning of approaching low-flying enemy aircraft during the Second World War. CHL stations used technology originally used by the Army to plot shipping for coastal batteries. In 1940 the Royal Air Force established the series of Chain Home Low stations to supplement the existing Chain Home stations as they were capable of detecting lower-flying aircraft. CHL sites typically comprised two gantries carrying the transmitter and receiver aerial arrays, a transmitter and receiver hut, a standby set house for the reserve power, and a general purposes hut. Defence measures installed at radar stations included Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacements, pillboxes, road blocks and air raid shelters. From 1942 CHL sites were combined with the British Army's Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) sites to form one system of low-cover radar under the control of the Royal Air Force. These selected stations were upgraded with centimetric radars to become the K-series of Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL) stations. This improvement in radar technology meant that fewer stations were needed to give the same coverage and as a result many CHL and CD/CHL stations not upgraded were closed. Beer Head became CHEL station K165. (2)
Chain Home Low Station at Beer Head. Aerial photography from 1986 shows the base for the receiver building and four other structures located at SY 223 882. (3) |