RAF Patrington explained

RAF Patrington
Ensign:	Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Ensign Size:	90px
Location:	Patrington Haven, East Yorkshire
Country:	England
Type:	Radar site
Gridref:	TA297203
Pushpin Map:	East Riding of Yorkshire
Pushpin Map Alt:	Relief map of the East Riding of Yorkshire
Pushpin Label Position:	top
Ownership:	Air Ministry (1942–1964) Ministry of Defence (1964–1975)
Operator:	Royal Air Force
Controlledby:	RAF Fighter Command
Code:	09G
Used:	1942–1955 (Radar site) 1951–1975 (domestic site)
Fate:	Partially demolished

RAF Patrington (or Royal Air Force Patrington), was a Ground-controlled interception (GCI) station of the Royal Air Force in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The base was operational during the Second World War, but was replaced by RAF Holmpton during the Cold War, although Patrington's domestic site remained open until the mid-1970s to house personnel for Holmpton. Some of the buildings of the old technical site survive abandoned near to Patrington Haven, but the domestic site has had a holiday park built upon it.

History

The site was opened in January 1942 as Ground Controlled Interception (GCI) station number 09G, staffed by technicians from No. 73 Signals Wing, part of No. 60 Group RAF.^[1] The main building on the technical site was known as the Happidrome, which was used as the Northern Sector Operations Centre (SOC) between 1947 and 1953, until the SOC at RAF Shipton was opened.^{[2] [3]} Domestic accommodation was opened at Patrington Haven in the early 1950s which remained until 1975 and the combined RAF Patrington locations covered an area of .^[4] The houses were later sold, but the barrack blocks were demolished and replaced with a holiday site.^[5]

In October 1952, during Exercise Ardent, 100 paratroopers were dropped in East Yorkshire to simulate an attack on a Sector Operations Centre (SOC), with Patrington being chosen as the target.^[6] At the same time, Patrington was being used as a reporting centre for a Search and Rescue helicopter (SAR) which was based out of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.^[7] It would continue to have a helicopter role when a Sycamore from No. 275 Sqn was outbased at Patrington during 1953 and 1954.^[8] During the early 1950s, controllers of the Bloodhound surface to air (SAM) missile programme were outbased at Patrington.^[9] During this time, the staff at weekends were drawn from the RAuxAF Fighter Control Units, No. 3609 (West Riding) Squadron being a large supplier of auxiliary workers at the site.^{[10] [11]}

The original site at Patrington was due to be upgraded to have a new bunker under the ROTOR programme, but the geological conditions at the site were found to be unsuitable, as it was land reclaimed from the Humber Estuary. So the radar site at Easington on the East Riding coast was closed, and a new bunker was built at Holmpton some distant from Patrington technical site eastwards.^{[12] [13] [14]}

Chronology

• 1942 – sites opens as a GCI at TA297203^[3]
• 1951 – Domestic site opens at TA302212
• 1953–1954 – Underground bunker site opens at TA366288 as RAF Holmpton^[14]
• 1955 – Technical site at Patrington closes
• 1958 – The domestic site at Patrington, and the technical site at Holmpton become known as RAF Patrington^[15]
• 1975 – Domestic site at Patrington closes, the bunker site reverts to being called RAF Holmpton
• 1984 – The domestic site is auctioned off by the MoD^[16]

Post closure

Since it was sold off in the 1980s, the domestic site now hosts a holiday park. In 2013, a memorial sculpture was unveiled on the holiday site.^[17] The original buildings at the Patrington Second World War site are still there, including the Happidrome.^[18]

Notable personnel

• Geoffrey Cooper, former officer commanding in 1971^[19]
• Ted Hughes – Hughes served as a ground wireless mechanic at the site between 1949 and 1952.^[20]
• Alan Rawlinson, former officer commanding in 1958^[21]

References

Sources

• Book: Dobinson . Colin . Building radar: forging Britain's early-warning chain, 1935–45 . 2010 . Methuen . London, UK . 978-0-413-77229-9.

External links

• Images of the derelict technical site
• Ordnance Survey based map showing GCI locations

Notes and References

1. Catford. Nick. RAF Staxton Wold. August 2006. Subterranea. 11. Subterranea Britannica. Berkshire, UK. 1741-8917. 19.
2. Web site: ROYAL AIR FORCE RADAR, 1939–1945 . iwm.org.uk . 31 October 2023.
3. Web site: Ground Controlled Interception Station 09g . www.heritagegateway.org.uk . 31 October 2023.
4. News: RAF Patrington to be sold off . Hull Daily Mail . 30,389 . 3 September 1983 . 5. 1741-3419.
5. Book: Allison . K. J. . A history of the county of York, East Riding . 1984 . 1969 . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 0-19-722760-0 . 100.
6. Ben . Dunnell. Preparing For War: Exercise 'Ardent'. Aeroplane Monthly. 10 May 2018. 22 March 2023.
7. Book: Eden . Paul E. . The Official History of the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue . 2020 . Adlard Coles . 9781472960887 . 62.
8. Web site: Dowling . J. R. . RAF helicopters the first twenty years part one . raf.mod.uk . 31 October 2023 . 194 . 1987.
9. Defending Northern Skies 1915 – 1995 . The RAF Historical Society Journal . 1995 . 137 . The Royal Air Force Historical Society. 0951-9824-6X.
10. Web site: Squadrons and Units - Fighter Control Units . rauxaf.org . 31 October 2023.
11. Book: Wood . Derek . Hunter . A F C . Defending Northern Skies 1915 – 1995 . 1996 . Royal Air Force Historical Society . Newcastle . 0951-9824-6X . 135 . Air defence in the north; the air defence system.
12. Web site: Holmes . Kevin . Association of Royal Air Force Fighter Control Officers . www.raffca.org.uk . 31 October 2023.
13. Web site: Holmpton Rotor Radar Station – Subterranea Britannica . www.subbrit.org.uk . 31 October 2023.
14. News: Vital watchdog . Hull Daily Mail . 25,635 . 28 March 1968 . 6. 1741-3419.
15. Web site: Patrington GCI Radar Station – Subterranea Britannica . subbrit.org.uk . 28 August 2023.
16. News: Davidson . Trudi . It was an RAF base and still is at its heart. We want to honour those who kept east coast safe . Hull Daily Mail . 23 February 2013 . 22. 1741-3419.
17. News: Ex-East Yorkshire RAF base memorial statue unveiled . 22 March 2023 . BBC News . 23 June 2013.
18. News: Campbell . James . The Gogglebox country walk where you may bump into Jenny and Lee . 31 October 2023 . Hull Live . 8 May 2022.
19. News: Evans . Chris . Chris Evans (journalist) . Air Commodore Geoffrey Cooper – obituary . The Daily Telegraph . 49,681 . 17 February 2015 . 31. 0307-1235.
20. News: Bristow . Simon . Poet's National Service to be remembered at RAF reunion . The Yorkshire Post . 1 March 2013 . 8. 0963-1496.
21. News: Haley . William . William Haley. Appointments in the Forces . The Times . 54065 . 3 February 1958 . 12. 0140-0460.