Ground Controlled Interception Station 09g |
| Hob Uid: 915111 | |
Location :
East Riding of Yorkshire
Sunk Island
|
| Grid Ref : TA2972020340 |
| Summary : The site of a Ground Controlled Interception (GCI) radar station at Patrington. GCI stations were developed by the Air Ministry from 1940 to detect, locate and track enemy aircraft and provide inland radar coverage of Britain. Patrington initially functioned as an Intermediate station. Intermediate GCI sites typically comprised a single aerial array mounted on a gantry and a 50ft by 18ft (15.2m by 5.5m) non-metallic operations hut. Additional on-site buildings included a small standby set house for reserve power, huts for offices and recreation, and a guard hut for the site entrance. It later 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 bunker, and a large brick-built operations room or Happidrome. In 1947 the Happidrome was used as the Northern Sector Operations Centre (SOC), until the purpose built SOC opened at Shipton in 1953. The station was replaced with a new, advanced radar station at Holmpton (see HOB UID 916225) in the early to mid 1950s. A site visit in 1992 shows the Final GCI operations room and a standby set house surviving at the site in good condition. |
More information : (TA 2972 2034) Ground Control Intercept (GCI) radar station.
A 'Final' GCI radar site consisting of a stand-by set house and a large operations block (Happidrome). Both structures are brick built with flat re-inforced concrete roofs. The operations room, part of the Happidrome, is a two storey structure. It is positioned opposite Bleak House Farm and the adjacent fields were the location of the type 7 and type 13 radar arrays. The site was visited by the Fortress Studies Group in 1992, and was considered to be in good condition but at some risk. (1)
A Ground Controlled Interception station located at Patrington (SZ 161 979), called site 09G. 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. By 28-JAN-1943 Patrington functioned as an Intermediate GCI station.
Intermediate Ground Controlled Interception sites typically comprised a single aerial array mounted on a gantry and a 50ft by 18ft (15.2m by 5.5m) non-metallic operations hut. Additional on-site buildings included a small power house, huts for offices and recreation, and a guard hut for the site entrance. (2)
Aerial photography from 1975 shows a Happidrome and an ancillary building- possibly a standby set house- surviving at the site in good condition. (3) |