| Summary : A Chain Home radar station at Pevensey that was established by February 1940. The station provided early warning of enemy aircraft for the south coast, overlooking the English Channel towards the raid assembly areas in northern France. Thus it was an important element of the country's early warning system during the Battle of Britain, particularly for the heavily engaged 11 Group RAF Fighter Command. As such it was targeted and bombed by the Luftwaffe on "Adlertag" or "Eagle Day", the all-out German air assault from 13th August 1940. Chain Home stations comprised transmission and receiver blocks, four 240ft timber receiver aerial towers, four 350ft steel transmitter aerial towers and other buildings such as dispersed accommodation huts, guard huts and standby set houses. From 1940 defensive measures were installed at radar stations, including Light Anti-Aircraft guns, pill boxes, road blocks and air raid shelters. The site was remodelled and technically restored in the early 1950s as part of the Rotor programme. The technical site at Pevensey Rotor station was centred at TQ 644 073. The domestic site for the station was situated at Wartling GCI radar station. The radar station was disused by 1958 and the site was sold. The radar station survives in almost complete condition. The receiver block compete with protective earthen mound remains extant at TQ 6410 0702, with a full set of aerial bases. The transmission block located at TQ 6440 0722 also has its earthen mound and four aerial bases set in a line immediately to the north of it aligned from east to west. Many other features of the station, including air raid shelters, married wardens quarters and ancillary buildings remain extant throughout the site. The buried reserves- where replacement transmission and receiver equipment were stored- and their attached aerial bases remain undisturbed at TQ 6440 0689. |
More information : A Chain Home radar station located at Pevensey (TQ 640 069) established by February 1940. Chain Home stations comprised transmission and receiver huts, 240ft timber receiver aerial towers, 350ft steel transmitter aerial towers that stood on four concrete pads, and other buildings such as dispersed accommodation huts and guard huts. From 1940 defensive measures were installed at radar stations, including Light Anti-Aircraft guns, pill boxes and air raid shelters. (1)
Pevensey Chain Home radar station survives in almost complete condition. Aerial photography shows that a receiver block, located at TQ 6410 0702, is still surrounded by its protective earthen mound and a full set of aerial bases. Three closely situated ancillary buildings and an air raid shelter remains extant. The remains of two building earlier buildings are visible- one immediately to the south of the operations block, the second to the north-east edge of the most north-eastern receiver aerial base. The standby set house is located at TQ 6426 0720 in excellent condition with its earthen mound, and two air raid shelters are located approx. 200 metres south of it. The transmission block, located at TQ 6640 0722, is protected by an earthen mound and has a full set of aerial bases stretching in a line from east to west immediately to the north of it. An air raid shelter is located to the south-east of the transmission block.
The area known as Pylon Cottages at TQ 6458 0738 consists of the married wardens quarters, an air raid shelter and various ancillary buildings and structures, though parts have been built over. The original track layout and other ancillary buildings are visible across the site. The buried reserves for the transmission and receiver equipment and their attached aerial bases are visible and undisturbed at TQ 6440 0689. (2)
RAF Pevensey provided early warning for the south coast and English Channel, looking over the raid assembly areas in northern France. (3)
Radar station site is on 2007 edition OS map and has been polygonised, which is why this record NGR may be different to NGRs given above. (4)
The Rotor programme was developed to advance the wartime radar technology in detecting and locating fast-flying jets. It was approved by the Air Council in June 1950. The first phase of the programme, Rotor 1, was to technically restore existing Chain Home, centrimetric early warning, Chain Home Extra Low and Ground Controlled Interception stations and put them under the control of RAF Fighter Command. There were three main components to the Rotor stations: the technical site, including the radars, operation blocks and other installations; the domestic site, where personnel were accommodated; and the stand-by set house, a reserve power supply. The technical site at Pevensey Rotor station was located at TQ 644 073. The stand-by set house was co-located at the technical site and the domestic site was situated at Wartling GCI radar station (see HOB UID 1478752). (5-7)
As source 2. (8)
RAF Pevensey, along with RAF Rye, were offered for sale by public auction in Battle (Sussex) in November 1958. (9) |