Juliet was a direct descendent of Cuthbert Quilter, who built Bawdsey Manor. The Manor played a significant role in the early development of radar and Juliet played a significant role for many years in the support and development of Bawdsey Radar Trust and museum.
Juliet held various roles during her many years of support including as trustee, volunteer and Membership Secretary. Her knowledge and interest never waned and Bawdsey Radar benefitted from her steadfastness, loyalty and commitment.
The church was packed for the service of thanksgiving for Juliet’s life and contribution; she supported many local organisations and charities with characteristic directness, humour and efficiency. We shall miss Juliet. The trustees and volunteers here at Bawdsey Radar are grateful for her support and friendship.
We send our sincere condolences to Guy, Jenny and their boys.
From Mary Wain, President Bawdsey Radar
It was an exciting day in 2015 when Juliet accepted an invitation to become a trustee of Bawdsey Radar. Her presence on the Board as a member of the Quilter family, the original owners of Bawdsey Manor, enhanced Bawdsey Radar’s link to the heritage of the Manor and the significance of its role in the development of radar. It was a sad day when after a few years of service Juliet had to give up her role as trustee but fortunately she decided to continue to work with Bawdsey Radar as a volunteer. She always worked with enthusiasm and consistency, essential attributes for both volunteering and being a trustee.
Her early death this summer came as a great shock to us all. Juliet’s involvement with Bawdsey Radar had led me to discover I had acquired a very good friend and I will sorely miss her.
On the 9th October 1944, a V2 rocket exploded off the coast of Bawdsey.
The radar station at RAF Bawdsey played an important role in defending against these incoming missiles. A monitoring system codenamed ‘Oswald’ was set up at Bawdsey and other stations in the Southeast to detect and track V2 rockets. Although these rockets travelled at such high speeds and altitudes that there was little that could be done to stop them after they were launched, the radar system at Bawdsey allowed the trajectories of the V2s to be tracked in order to identify their launch site. These were then attacked by the Mosquitos and other aircraft of Bomber Command, helping to stem to flow of missiles into England.
On the 9th October 1935, Robert Watson Watt sent a memo to the Air Ministry proposing that a network of stations be established along the coast using the newly developed radar technology in order to give early warning of incoming aerial attack. RAF Bawdsey later became the first link in this network of radar stations known as Chain Home which was used to give advanced warning of incoming German aircraft during the Second World War.
Want to learn more about radar and the men and women who operated it? Visit Bawdsey Radar!
On the 24th September 1937, RAF Bawdsey became the first fully operational RDF site in Great Britain, forming the first link of the chain of radar stations known as Chain Home. This network of radar stations proved vital in giving Fighter Command information about incoming enemy attacks during the Battle of Britain, allowing the outnumbered pilots of the RAF to effectively meet the Luftwaffe and defend the country. The Bawdsey story did not end here, however, and RAF Bawdsey helped keep Britain safe until 1991, first as a ROTOR radar station and later as a Bloodhound Missile site, stationed on the coast to defend against incoming aircraft.
On the 9th September 1935, Robert Watson Watt sent a memo to the Air Ministry proposing that a network of stations be established along the coast using the newly developed radar technology in order to give early warning of incoming aerial attack. RAF Bawdsey later became the first link in this network of radar stations known as Chain Home which was used to give advanced warning of incoming German aircraft during the Second World War.
On the 3rd of September 1939, the Second World War broke out. It was decided that RAF Bawdsey, due to its coastal location, was vulnerable enemy attack and so it was at this time that the research staff from RAF Bawdsey were dispersed around Britain, with many sent to Inverness in Scotland. The team later moved to Worth Matravers in Dorset.
On the 1st September 1936, Robert Watson Watt was made the superintendent of the Radar Research Station at Bawdsey. Watson Watt, along with Arnold ‘Skip’ Wilkins and team pioneered the development of the radar technology that proved vital in the Allied victory in the Second World War.
On the 17th August 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!
On the 15th August in 1940, the RAF repulsed numerous large Luftwaffe air raids on what has become known as ‘the Hardest Day’ of the battle of Britain.
Radar stations like RAF Bawdsey and the aerial interception radar developed at the site proved decisive in these engagements, giving the outnumbered and exhausted pilots of the RAF warning of incoming raids and allowing them to effectively meet and attack incoming aircraft. This network of radar stations along around the British coast, and the Dowding system they were part of, were instrumental in the Allied victory in the Second World War.
