Former RAF Sandwich Radar Station - Sandwich Kent UK - Abandoned Air Force Radar Sites on Waymarking.com

Following a review of the Chain Home and Chain Home Low radars operational capabilities after the outbreak of WW2, it was identified that a control radar system was urgently required to assist in fighter interception of enemy aircraft. This was due in the main to the inability of Chain Home and Chain Home Low systems to provide inland radar coverage. The Ground Control Intercept radar system was designed to fill this gap in the UK's defence against the Luftwaffe.

In the April of 1942 the construction began on a new Intermediate Transportable Ground Control Intercept radar station, originally designated 'Site 39G' (RAF Sandwich) on the Ash Road at Sandwich, Kent UK.  It was completed by the August of 1942 and began operating a Type 8b AMES (Air Ministry Experimental Station) radar. The next phase was for RAF Sandwich to become a 'Final' Ground Control Intercept station, with the building of a permanent brick built facility. This new permanent facility went operational on June 15th 1943, its role, to control any interception of any enemy aircraft in the south-east corner of Kent.

The above info was gleaned from the excellent articles on RAF Sandwich/Ash by Nick Catford. For the remaining, extensive, history of RAF Sandwich untill it's closure in 1958 can be found here on Subterranea Britannica

RAF Sandwich continued to be an integral part of the UK radar system into the Cold War of the 1950's with additional radar types being deployed here. Due to its location on salt marshes, RAF Sandwich was unsuitable for a new ROTOR underground bunker station.

The brick built Operations Room (or 'Happidrome' as they were known) remains intact and is currently used by a local Veterinary Surgery and local Vehicle Service garage. The gate guard house is also intact, but apparently unused. There was once a long single storey building visible behind and to the right of the 'Happidrome', but that has been demolished in the past few years, all that remains of that is the concrete base.

Related Web Sites: [Web Link] Squadron number: Not listed Served at this site :: Not listed

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