RAF Danby Beacon
Appearance
RAF Danby Beacon | |
---|---|
near Danby, North Yorkshire in England | |
Coordinates | 54°28′38″N 0°52′14″W / 54.47716°N 0.8705°W |
Type | Radar station |
Height | 360 feet (109.7 m) |
Site history | |
Built | 1937 |
In use | 1937–1954 |
Demolished | 1957 |
Royal Air Force Danby Beacon or more simply RAF Danby Beacon was an
Radio Direction Finding (RDF)) stations built by the Royal Air Force immediately prior to the Second World War
.
Construction
The receiving masts were 240 feet (73.2 m) high timber structures and the transmitting masts were 360 feet (109.7 m) steel masts. The construction of these masts was the work of the RAF controlled, but civilian staffed, No. 2 Installation Unit of
No. 1 Maintenance Unit RAF (1 MU).[1]
Second World War
During the first part of the war the station was under the control of
Flight Lieutenant Peter Townsend.[3] The intercept is described in detail in Townsend's highly-successful book about the Battle of Britain, "Duel of Eagles."[4]
Soon after control of the station passed to the newly formed 60 Group but its information was passed to 13 Group headquarters in Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Cold War
In 1946 the station moved to the control of
90 Group and continued to function in the early warning role until 1954 when the station ceased operating.[5] The masts and buildings were demolished in 1957.[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Danby_Beacon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1331846.jpg/220px-Danby_Beacon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1331846.jpg)
Memorial
None of the structures remain but the site of the station is now marked by a memorial stone.
References
- ^ Clark, Ted (16 December 2003). "My Experiences of Radar Installation". WW2 People's war. BBC. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ISBN 978-1843410553.
- ^ Pears, Brian (1994–2010). "Firsts". North-East Diary 1939–1945. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ Peter Townsend, Duel of Eagles, (New York, Simon and Schuster, 1970), pp 7-8.
- ^ a b "Beacon lit for heroes". Whitby Gazette. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.