Bembridge Chain Home Reserve RADAR Station

During the period that Ventnor Chain Home was non-operational, a supplementary station was established at Culver Cliff. The sole remaining evidence consists of the anchor points utilised to secure the mast wires.

The RAF Chain Home Radar system, which was established in June 1941 at Bembridge, served the purpose of providing early warning for the detection of low-flying enemy aircraft. This particular station was commonly referred to as Chain Home Low (CHL) and typically consisted of two substantial gantries that supported the arrays for transmitting and receiving, which were suspended and connected between them.

In close proximity to the gantries, there are transmitter and reception huts, together with a separate backup house or dugout designated for emergency power supply. The aforementioned technique was utilised for the purpose of monitoring the aircraft and was derived from a military technology originally designed for the mapping of surface water traffic in the year 1940.

In addition to the radar equipment, there were other support structures that functioned as bomb shelters and housed light anti-aircraft gun emplacements.

• https://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/plain/A612334

• https://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/plain/A612334