Monument record TR 34 SW 2914 - Chain Home Low Station Chl04a

A Chain Home Low Station located at Swingate (TR 342 428), called site CHL04A. It was established by the end of June 1941. Chain Home Low (CHL) stations provided early warning of approaching low-flying enemy aircraft during the Second World War. CHL stations used technology originally used by the Army to plot shipping for coastal batteries. In 1940 the Royal Air Force established the series of Chain Home Low stations to supplement the existing Chain Home stations as they were capable of detecting lower-flying aircraft. CHL sites typically comprised two gantries carrying the transmitter and receiver aerial arrays, a transmitter and receiver hut, a standby set house for the reserve power, and a general purposes hut. (1)

Chain Home Low Station at Swingate. Aerial photography from 1995 shows that the transmission section at TR 335 429 survives in excellent condition. The operations block, standby set house and 7 ancillary buildings are all visible. 4 sets of aerial bases remain, 3 of which retain their original steel towers. Buried transmitter and receiver sections and their associated aerial bases can be seen at TR 336 433. The receiver section at TR 339 432 contains a well-preserved operations block and 4 sets of aerial bases. Several building bases are also visible. This descriptions includes the Chain Home Station as well as the Chain Home Low site. (2)

Aerial photograph referenced in source 2. (3)

"RAF Dover" is noted as a Chain Home Low Station on an RAF website as part of the radar defences in the 11 Group RAF fighter Command area. This may refer to the Chain Home Low Station at Swingate. (4)

Comments from a former member of the RAF personnel based at Swingate in 1950 indicate that the site was fitted with a combined transmitter and receiver aerial. By 1950 a converted type 13 height finding radar had also been installed at the site. The role of searching for particularly low flying aircraft in the area was given to a CHEL (Chain Home Extra Low) station located at the north end of St. Margaret's village, where a "Rotor" station (a Cold War radar system) was subsequently situated. (5)

<1> Dobinson, C, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 7. Acoustics and radar: England's early warning systems 1915-1945 (Bibliographic reference). SWX23709.

<2> Anderton, Michael J., 2000, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two radar stations (Bibliographic reference). SWX23713.

<3> 1995, NMR/15367/023 30-AUG-1995 (Photograph). SKE58766.

<4> Peter Higginbotham, Higginbotham, Peter. 2000. The Workhouse. (Website). SKE53741.

<5> 2011, PastScape comments log 23-JAN-2011 (Verbal communication). SKE58767.