| Summary : The site of a Ground Controlled Interception (GCI) radar station at Wartling. GCI stations were developed by the Air Ministry from 1940 to to detect, locate and track enemy aircraft and provide inland radar coverage of Britain. Wartling opened in April 1941 and initially functioned as a Mobile station reporting to Kenley Fighter Sector. Mobile stations comprised transmitter and receiver aerial arrays mounted on trailers spaced no more than 220ft (67.1 metres) apart, with equipment stored and operations carried out from trucks. In 1943 Wartling was developed into a Final station. Final GCI or AMES Type 7 stations comprised a single rotating aerial array with transmitter equipment stored beneath in an underground well, plus an operations block, a standby set house for reserve power, and a guard hut for the site entrance. Aerial photography from 1982 shows building bases laid out at TQ 654 075 and clusters of up to 14 aerial bases and/or plinths at the site. |
More information : A Ground Controlled Interception station located at Wartling (TQ 654 073), called site 20G. Ground Controlled Interception (GCI) radar stations were developed by the Air Ministry from 1940 to detect, locate and track enemy aircraft and provide inland radar coverage of Britain. The stations worked in cooperation with local Fighter Sectors that had Airborne Interception (AI) radar fitted in its aircraft to enable the crew to accurately home in on targets. Wartling reported to Kenley Fighter Sector, initially as a Mobile station and in 1943 as a Final GCI station.
Mobile stations comprised transmitter and receiver aerial arrays mounted on trailers spaced no more than 220ft (67.1 metres) apart, with equipment stored and operations carried out from trucks. Final Ground Controlled Interception sites were AMES Type 7 stations that comprised a single rotating aerial array with transmitter equipment stored in an underground well beneath, a brick operations block, a standby set house for reserve power, and a guard hut for the site entrance. Some sites were provided with additional huts for offices and recreation rooms. (1)
Aerial photography from 1982 shows building bases and site layout at TQ 654 075. Cluster of aerial bases and/or plinths are visible at TQ 6546 0760, TQ 6572 0750, TQ 6563 0750, TQ 6556 0740, TQ 6542 0740, TQ 6546 0748 and TQ 6532 0752. (2) |