Royal Air Force Bempton or more simply RAF Bempton is a former Royal Air Force station situated at Bempton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, 6 miles (10 km) north of Bridlington. During the Second World War it was established as a radar station, becoming part of the Chain Home Low (CHL) network.
Operational history
[edit]- 1940 The first CHL radar station was installed in early 1940 a few hundred feet from the lighthouse at Flamborough Head. This was at an elevation of 130 feet (40 m); at this height performance proved to be very unsatisfactory. A new higher site was found four miles up the coast on the 350 feet (110 m) cliffs at Bempton.[1]
- The new site was opened in July 1940 as RAF Bempton. It was a CHL station.[2]
- 1941 became a CHL/Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL) radar station.[3]
- It disbanded on 1 August 1945.
- 1945 – Air Ministry Experimental Station Type 31
- 1 June 1949, re-established as a CHL/CHEL radar station.
- 17 February 1950 – transferred to RAF Fighter Command.
- On 1 November 1951 it was renamed as 146 Signals Unit Bempton rebuilt as a Centimetric Early Warning (CEW) radar station, part of the ROTOR Programme.
- The 146 Signals Unit was disbanded on 1 December 1961
- Bempton became a satellite station of RAF Patrington until its final closure in April 1972.
The site was also used for a secret High Speed Passive Array RADAR codenamed 'Winkle'.[4][5] The distinctive Y-shaped concrete stanchions on the cliff edge are indicative of Winkle.[6]
Current use
[edit]The site was sold in 1980/81. The stairs down to the bunker were removed and other entrances were sealed over with concrete.[1]
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Images taken with Sony RX10 Mk4.
