The Kent History Forum
Military History => Radar Stations and Searchlight Emplacements => Topic started by: Alastair on May 08, 2021, 12:11:02 PM
-
Has anyone heard of a possible radar site/station on the Deal-Dover Road on the Deal side of the Swingate Inn, on the corner of the road that leads to St Margaret's and West Cliff? I heard there were a collection of huts, etc on the Deal side of this turning but have no further evidence.
Regards
Alastair
-
Isn't that Reinden Woods?
-
Never heard of Reinden Woods, Pete. The area I'm referring to is a field.
Alastair
-
I made a mistake it is Swingfield not Swingate, Was an Army training area in the 1970s
-
This photo is from Dec 1940 of the corner of Deal Road (A258) and Dover Road (to Westcliffe). It's from google earth historical imagery. Looks like an army camp.
-
Army, RAF, Naval, they'd all have been a fairly standard layout, with Nissen huts the accommodation. I remember that in the Summer of 1938 there were very tall radar masts erected by the side of the Sandwich Road, probably Richborough. Of course, we didn't know what they were at that time & assumed, some sort of radio masts. As it turned out, one of our saviours in the Battle of Britain.
-
The only one I past when cycling in 1944 - was at Dunkirk - on the way to Margate.
-
Castle261. The name Dunkirk rang a bell but we were on a school outing, by coach from Gillingham, and definitely on the way to Sandwich. I see from the map that Dunkirk is near Faversham, so actually the Deal/Dover road is nearer than that but we certainly didn't go to Dover. Definitely a very flat area like Richborough. It could possibly have been Spring 1939, well before we were evacuated.
-
All I can find is a reference that states 'During the Second World War a camp was established for personal working at the Swingate radar station. The camp originally consisted of huts but these have all now been demolished' 2013 verbal reference by John Guy
-
Pete. No mistake, it was Swingate. One of the first 5 of Home Chain Radar stations built in 1936. The others were Dunkirk, Rye, Newchurch & Westcliffe. I've now completely confused & can only assume that the masts ( nearly 400ft. high) that we saw were either Dunkirk- as that name was mentioned- or Swingate & we went to Deal, for I'm sure I would have remembered Dover with its castle. I'm pretty sure that initially they were manned by RAF personnel.
-
Sorry, not clear I meant Reinden Woods is Swingfield not Swingate and I was wrong. Does this look like it?
-
Pete. My recollection is not of those complicated pylons, more like single- 4 very tall & probably 4 shorter ones I think- masts with stays and cables linking them. Your picture may well be how the Radar system developed post 1936. Does Castle remember his at Dunkirk I wonder?
-
This might have the answer https://www.dover.uk.com/forums/dover-forum/the-4-sisters (https://www.dover.uk.com/forums/dover-forum/the-4-sisters) It seems there were 4, smaller, wooden receiving towers. Reply #4 has an attached photo
-
Pete. Thanks, that's an interesting site, very similar to ours. I see from their photo that there were 2 lots of 4 masts. I can only assume that the single ones were the 1936 build which I saw, whereas the latticed pylons were an update later on. And they also confirm that these were RAF initially, with WAAFs manning before bombing & shelling made it too dangerous. The photo', taken by the Germans across the channel is quite amazing. Reminds me of the saying; And the Lord said, " let there be light". And there was light, and on a clear day, you could see for miles & miles & miles!.