On this day in 1936, Robert Watson Watt became Superintendent of the Bawdsey Radar Research Station. It was here that Watson Watt, along with his team, developed the radar technology that proved vital in the Battle of Britain and established the world’s first radar station. To learn more about Watson Watt, the development of radar and the men and women who lived and worked at RAF Bawdsey visit the museum!
A two day event – ‘Radar in the Air’ held at BT Adastral Park, Martlesham and the Bawdsey Radar Museum recently was well attended. Talks were given on the aspects of radar development for use in aircraft. Actual World War 2 equipment was on display alongside unique reproductions of the valve-driven radar systems.
Defence Electronics History Society and DEHS members attended a meeting hosted by Bawdsey Radar Museum.
Dr Phil Judkins, Chairman of DEHS gave the following quote:
“Britain was the first nation in the world to have airborne radar, the first to have air to surface radar, ASV, to detect ships and surfaced submarine, and the first to have air interception radar, AI, to fight night bombers.”
On this day in 1937, airborne radar was tested for the first time off the coast of Bawdsey. This equipment, developed at RAF Bawdsey, was packed into an Avro Anson aircraft and turned on over the sea in an attempt to track nearby test aircraft. Although this was unsuccessful, the radar system found ships off the Felixstowe coast, leading to the development of Air-to-Surface-Vessel radar (ASV) that proved vital in detecting enemy ships and submarines that were attempting to attack shipping convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Want to learn more about radar and the men and women who operated it? Visit Bawdsey Radar!
Black & White Productions in association with Bawdsey Radar Trust and supported by Victory 80 VE/VJ Grants funded by Museum Development South East (MDSE)
ANNOUNCE A NEW TOUR OF OPERATION:RADAR written by Suzanne Hawkes
We are very pleased to have secured some grant funding with Bawdsey RADAR Trust to tour Operation:RADAR in September
Our first run of performances in April at Two Sisters Arts Centre was mostly SOLD OUT – with lots of good feedback. SO BEST GET YOUR TICKETS AS SOON AS YOU CAN
It’s a race against time as Boffins Robert Watson Watt and Skip Wilkins try to come up with solutions to the impossible problems of detecting aircraft and IFF (identifying friend or foe) before they succumb to the bleak conditions of Orfordness – or Hitler unleashes the might of the Luftwaffe and wipes out the RAF ‘before the flying boys have got their socks on!’.
But as they re-establish operations at Bawdsey Manor, and Churchill piles on the pressure, will Air Marshall Dowding retain his sanity long enough to be any help?
And even if they do find answers – who will operate the new Chain Home Stations now all the men are being called up?
With live music and a mixture of new songs and old favourites from the period, this is a chance, on this 80th Anniversary year of VE & VJ Day, to celebrate the amazing achievements of a small group of men and women who ‘saved the day’ and were a vital part of the victory.
Performance dates :
Tuesday 2nd Sept/Wednesday 3rd Sept 7.45pm TWO SISTERS ARTS CENTRE – Preview performances ALL TICKETS £10
Saturday 6th Sept/Sunday 7th Sept 2.30pm BAWDSEY RADAR MUSEUM – ALL TICKETS £15 – will include return ferry from Felixstowe – Bawdsey, shuttle bus from Bawdsey Quay and free entry to the Museum
Tuesday 9th Sept 7.45pm MARTLESHAM COMMUNITY HALL, Felixstowe Rd, Martlesham Tickets £15/£13
Friday 12th Sept 7.45pm DARSHAM VILLAGE HALL Tickets £15/£13
Saturday 13th Sept 7.45pm OLD JET, BENTWATERS PARK Tickets £15/£13
Sunday 14th Sept 2.30pm HARVEST HOUSE, Felixstowe £15/£13 (HH residents £10)
Monday 15th Sept 7.45pm WALDRINGFIELD VILLAGE HALL £15/£13
Tuesday 16th Sept 7.45pm Court Room, BURY ST EDMUNDS GUILDHALL £15 (includes a chance to visit the Only Surviving WWII Royal Observer Corps Operations Room in the UK)
Friday 19th Sept 7.45pm ORFORD VILLAGE HALL £15/£13
Saturday 20th Sept 7.45pm JUBILEE HALL, ALDEBURGH £15/£13
Tickets available to reserve on 01394 279613 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/black-white-productions
This VE and VJ Day commemoration project is supported using public funding by UK Government through Arts Council England
On this day in 1934, Sir Frederick Lindemann wrote a letter to The Times, suggesting that there was currently ‘no means of preventing hostile bombers from depositing their loads of explosives, incendiary materials, gases or bacteria upon their objectives’. He believed, however, that a defeatist attitude should not be taken to the problem, arguing that scientific advancements would enable a method to defend British cities to be developed.
The fear of aerial bombardment led to the Air Ministry heavily investing in methods to defend against enemy attack which ultimately led to the development of radar at Orfordness and RAF Bawdsey.
Want to learn more about radar and the men and women who operated it? Visit Bawdsey Radar! Learn more here: https://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/visit/
On this day in 1935, aircraft from RAF Martlesham Heath was detected by the experimental radar station on Orford Ness at a distance of 40 miles during a test, with the response received by ‘the Islanders’ strong enough to tell that there were, in fact, three aircraft being used in the test. By September, the range of the system was consistently 40 miles, a figure that was doubled by the end of the year and increased by early 1936.
Despite this success, space on Orford Ness was limited and a new site with more space to construct the necessary buildings and towers required was sought. Bawdsey Manor, and the surrounding estate, proved ideal for this and it was here, behind the manicured gardens and grand façade, that the radar technology that proved vital in the Battle of Britain was developed.
Want to learn more about radar and the men and women who operated it? Visit Bawdsey Radar!
Learn more here: https://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/visit/
On this day in 1959, the Duchess of Gloucester unveiled a plaque in the Bawdsey officers’ mess, at Bawdsey Manor, commemorating the pioneering scientists who worked to develop the radar technology that proved so vital in the Battle of Britain.
Bawdsey Radar were delighted to be joined by a group of BT apprentices who had produced a video showing the inside and outside of Bawdsey Manor. They had used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to animate pictures of Robert Watson Watt and Arnold Wilkins who were the key people involved in the development of RADAR before WWII. The completed video can be seen at the museum.
BT apprentices launching the video at Bawdsey Radar Museum
On this day in 1944, Operation Overlord commenced, with thousands of Allied soldiers landing on the Normandy coast.
Radar, and technology used to jam it, played a decisive role in the landings. Developed by Joan Curran, ‘chaff’, also known as ‘window’, was dropped by Avro Lancasters over the Straits of Dover to confuse German radar sets, creating a signal that was mistaken by German radar operators as an invasion fleet heading towards Calais. These operations, known as Operation Glimmer and Taxable, helped to deceive German High Command about the true location of the main landings.
Lest we forget.
It’s an opportunity to say a public thank you to all volunteers.
A ‘Thank you’ is not enough to encompass what Bawdsey Radar Museum owes its volunteer team. Volunteers are the heart of this museum and so many organisations across this UK.
Thank you to our Ace Volunteer Team for every single thing you do, from greeting our guests in the museum to looking after the building and grounds – everything that makes Bawdsey Radar Museum a wonderful place to be with a special story to tell is influenced by our volunteers. Our work in sharing the story of the men and women who lived and worked at RAF Bawdsey would not be possible without the endless effort and support of our volunteer team.
We are always looking for new volunteers to help us to share the story of radar at Bawdsey and beyond. From front of house work to working behind the scenes on particular projects or maintaining the site, there is a role for everyone at Bawdsey Radar Museum. If you would like learn more about volunteering at Bawdsey Radar Museum: https://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/support-us/#volunteering or please get in touch! We’d love to hear from you.
