2010

SW7221 : Site of RAF Dry Tree

taken 14 years ago, near to Traboe, Cornwall, England

Site of RAF Dry Tree
Site of RAF Dry Tree
This area of Goonhilly Downs immediately adjacent to the Satellite Earth Station was one of a chain of secret 'radio location' (later 'radar') stations. A mobile unit based here in 1940, using 21m guyed masts was soon replaced by a permanent station with four 110m transmitter masts and two 73m receiving wooden towers, able to detect high flying enemy aircraft 200 miles away. This photograph was taken from the roof of the receiver block, the largest of the many wartime structures which are still standing, mostly overgrown. This affords a good viewpoint for the whole area, with interesting information boards. The receiver block, with its double bombproof walls, was the nerve centre, housing Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) radar operators. There were about 120 service personnel at RAF Dry Tree, half of them women. It wasn't until August 1945 that the Air Ministry fully revealed the existence of the radar stations and the role played by more than 4000 WAAF operators in defeating German air raids. Work is currently underway (January 2010) to clear vegetation from the existing buildings and lay paths to make the site more accessible.

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Rod Allday and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Wartime relics
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station [19] ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
+
+
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
TIP: Click the map for more Large scale mapping
Grid Square
SW7221, 81 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Rod Allday   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 23 January, 2010   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 25 January, 2010
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SW 7286 2109 [10m precision]
WGS84: 50:2.7897N 5:10.4382W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SW 7273 2108
View Direction
EAST (about 90 degrees)
Clickable map
+
NW N NE
W Go E
SW S SE
Image classification(about): Geograph
This page has been viewed about 883 times
You are not logged in login | register