Dover CH Station

[Andy Saunders]

Does anybody know the AMES number of the Dover CH radar site(s)?

It would be AMES (Air Ministry Experimental Station)....but I do not know its specific station number.

[MarkRS]

http://www.vectorsite.net/ttwiz_01.html

AMES type 1

See 1.2 Chain Home

Regards,

Mark

[MarkRS]

http://www.radarpages.co.uk/mob/ch/chainhome.htm

Straight from the horse's mouth!
Article from "The GEC Journal of Research", Vol. 3 No.2 1985 pages 73-83
(GEC = Marconi = BTH)

On the last page; shown as Dover on the map , but called Swingate, Kent in the list.

Regards,

Mark

[Andy Saunders]

Mark

Many thanks, and all very interesting.

However, what I seek specifically is the unique station number for the Dover (Swingate) CH station. In other words, AMES (Number?) - eg AMES 430 etc etc.

[MarkRS]

This list contains some of the station numbers, but unfortunately not Swingate's:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_RAF_stations#Chain_Home.2C_Chain_Ho me_Low.2C_Chain_Home_Extra_Low.2C_ROTOR_and_tropo-scatter_Stations

One site states that Swingate was one of the first 5 built. That does not really help, but one can infer a range assuming the list started at AMES 1.

I shall keep digging.

Mark

[MarkRS]

Bingo!
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1350388

Here called CH 04.
Blackpool is called CH 64 which corrolates with AMES No 64 in the wikilist I posted before, therefore it is safe to surmise that Swingate is AMES No 4. There is a whole list of other numbered sites.

Mark

[Andy Saunders]

Mark

Thank you for your diligence!

Unless evidence emerges to the contrary, I will tentatively go with AMES 4 for Dover (Swingate) CH Station.

Thanks again!

Andy

[Dave Wallace]

My records show an AMES 9000 station located at Swingate which was an Oboe ground station.

Dave Wallace

[Andy Saunders]

Dave

I am interested in the 1940 period in relation to the Swingate site, thus long before Oboe.

I am wondering if the Oboe site was given a different AMES number?

I am keen to know if there are any reports of bomb damage at the Swingate CH station on 14 November 1940, by the way.

[MarkRS]

From what I have read the site number (4 in this case) never changes. Several different systems where mounted at Swingate up to 1955.

From the last reference I posted:

"The station was operational from the late 1930s and in use throughout the Second World War, including the Battle of Britain, during which it was briefly put out of action by a "near miss" from enemy bombers."

This could be a reference to 14 November.

Mark