RAF Swingate Down

RAF Swingate Down
RAF Swingate Down
	RAF Swingate Down Shown within Kent
Coordinates	51°08′22″N 1°20′30″E
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1913; 1938
In use	1913-1920; 1938-1945

Royal Air Force Swingate Down or more simply RAF Swingate Down is a former Royal Air Force Chain Home Low radar station operational during the Second World War located north of Dover, Kent, England.

The site was situated on alongside RAF Dover, another Radar section together on the removed First World War landing ground of RAF Dover.

History

First World War

RAF Dover was first established during August 1913, initially as stopping-off point before flying over the English Channel to France and was used by the following units:[1]

No. 2 Squadron RAF
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No. 4 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 7 Squadron RAF
No. 9 Squadron RAF
No. 12 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron RAF
No. 13 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron RAF became No. 13 Reserve Squadron RAF became No. 13 Training Squadron RAF
No. 15 Squadron RAF
No. 20 Reserve Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 49 Squadron RAF
No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 58 Squadron RAF
No. 62 Training Squadron RAF
No. 64 Reserve Squadron RAF
No. 65 Training Squadron RAF became No. 53 Training Depot Station RAF
No. 110 Squadron RAF[2]
No. 212 Squadron RAF[3]
Machine Gun School

Second World War

RAF Dover was re-established as a Chain Home radar station during 1938.[4]

RAF Swingate Down was located to the east of RAF Dover but within the confines of the old landing ground as Chain Home Low radar station.[4]

Current use

The site is a transmitting station.[4]

References

Citations

"Dover (St Margaret's) (Swingate)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
Jefford 1988, p. 55.
Jefford 1988, p. 70.
Action Stations No. 9 - Chris Ashworth pg. 79

Bibliography

Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

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[ABCT-1] "Dover (St Margaret's) (Swingate)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 15 June 2020.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198855-2] Jefford 1988, p. 55.

[FOOTNOTEJefford198870-3] Jefford 1988, p. 70.

[AS9-4] Action Stations No. 9 - Chris Ashworth pg. 79