Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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CH = Chain Home was a set of radars that were started prior to WW2 and in 1939/40 covered the east coast of England, by 1945 they had been expanded to cover the whole of the British Isles.
The radar was an early form and when switched on it lit up like a row of searchlights. A plane flying towards the light is shown up on a screen and direction, height and numbers could be read out. But as the planes fly over the aerials they cross out of the light and then it was the job of the Observer Corps (later Royal Observer Corps) who were situated all over the country would then report their sightings and passed them on to the RAF and fighters would be scrambled and sent to intercept the boggies.
Battle of Britain.
Radar coverage in the Battle of Britain.
Red - 1939.
Yellow - 1940.
Spitfire.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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These are two plans of all the Chain Home stations around Britain between 1940 & 1945.
The smaller plan is the 194 stations used in the Battle of Britain.
Radar operations room.
CHL receiver room.
CHL receiver room.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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This is the main site with two transmitter & two receiver blocks & the admin area and aerial arrays.
West coast aerial arrays.
Two Chain Home receiver aerials.
Two Chain Home transmitting aerials.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Entering the site.
Home Guard or the local infantry battalion would have protect the site in wartime
and RAF Police would protect the site post war.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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West Coast Type 'C' Receiver block.
Just inside the gate on the right is part of its side wall which would have been completely covered in earth.
RAF pilots scramble.
Spitfire take off.
B of B.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Entrance to the receiver block.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Receiver Block type 'C'.
Plan of the block made of reinforced concrete and covered in earth grassed over.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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Main door.
Important information on the door.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Entrance to the receiver block.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Inside the receiver room
.Inside the main room with the entrance on the right and the air conditioning/filter room through the door.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Gas filtration plant and air conditioning.
Gas was always a worry so a filtration plant was always fitted in.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Gas filtration plant and air conditioning.
A view held in the National Archives in Kew.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Ventilation plant.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Ventilation Plant
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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A ventilation fan
Part of the ventilation plant..
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Receiver room.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Chain Home receiver room.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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The small room.
something here
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Door to the toilets and small store.
Note the glass in the door, this is a throwback from the RAF expansion scheme and was also used in decontamination buildings.
something here
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Back of the toilet passage door.
All these bunkers were built and then fitted out with the electrical supply and equipment so thats why the wiring is run through conduit tubes.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Vacant.
Plan
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Just when you need one its engaged!!
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Toilets.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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For coats and hats.
All airmen and officers wore hats and in cold weather heavy coats so there would have to be a proper storage for them. Usually there was a hat shelf where the hats could sit.
Plan.
The two types of hats worn by the RAF.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Underfloor ducting for cables.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Standby Set House.
Power generation. The whole camp would have been run off the local grid and if that failed these generators would cut in and take over.
Standby Set.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Plan
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Plan of a Standby Set House.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Entrance
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Blast wall.
The gap between the outer blast wall and the main building.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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An emergency escape out of the space between the blast wall and building.
There were two of these in opposing corners.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Main entrance generator room.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Crossley Stand by Generator Set West Coast type.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Details of where equipment was hung on the wall.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Overhead gantry to lift items.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Generator room.
Standby set.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Now the damp getting in.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Fuel tank store.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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The view across the countryside.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Generator exhaust pipe.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Aerial bases.
Four receiver and four transmitter towers.
Transmitter aerials.
Receiver aerials.
Layout of cables between the aerials.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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The two pairs of wooden aerials and two pairs of steel aerials.
This set is situated somewhere on the coast.
RAF secret photo of a set of west coast aerials.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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West Coast Type 'C' Receiver Block.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Plan
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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West Coast Type 'C' Receiver Block plan.
A receiver room.
A receiver room.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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The entrance
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Blast wall.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Main switchboard west coast switch board.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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West coast switchboard.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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West coast switchboard.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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British Foundry Engineering Co. LTD.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Central corridor.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Large cable ducts.
Plan.
Receiver room..
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Fire extinguisher stand.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Essentials.
Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Ventilation chimney at the far end of the building.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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A bridge to allow the roadway to go over the cable ducts.
Red square on plan.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Administrative buildings.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Kew
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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1942 establishment of a Chain Home station.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Administrative buildings.
The tower is the high level water tank and a chimney for a boiler to heat the water.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Temporary brick hut.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Administrative buildings.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Administrative buildings.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Crittall steel windows.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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One of the rooms.
It would have been painted in two colours, light colour above, green below and a dark green dado line running around the wall.
Colour of an office.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Wooden base plate for a light switch.
Double brass light switches.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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The fire places were often removed and re used in old houses.
Ornate fire place, how it may have looked.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Another pair of water towers.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Google Maps
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Rose Cliston camping site.
Just north of the admin site on the main road is the communal site.
This was one of the communal sites. I know there was also a WAAF site as well.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Google Maps
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Rose Cliston camping site.
Communal water tower and chimney.
WAAFS.
Temporary brick ablutions block.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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Part of the domestic site in 1943.
Nissan and temporary brick huts.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Canteen after Christmas dinner 1943.
The clock says 7.00pm and dinner is over.
A Sergeants Mess.
A Sergeants Mess at Christmas.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Canteen after Christmas dinner.
On the table HP sauce, vinegar, more sauce, sugar, ash tray and butter.
HP sauce today.
A contemporary advert.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Sergeants Mess 1943.
The photographer was Flight Sergeant George Pittock 929394 an electronics mechanic and he met and later married a WAAF Doreen Penny 2021614 and their son Dave sent these photos.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Sergeants Mess.
A sergeant reading a magazine with Christmas cards on the mantle piece.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Sergeants Mess.
Two more sergeants, one reading The People news paper.
This one is The People dated April 1945.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
.jpg)
Via Dave Pittock 1943
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Sergeants Mess.
Another Sergeant sitting on the fire place. A lovely set of photos showing just another Christmas at war.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1944
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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The Bi monthly camps magazine 'What's Cookin' Vol.1.No.2. RAF Trerew Feb March 1944.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
Via Dave Pittock 1944
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Another page.
The Bi monthly camps magazine 'What's Cookin' Vol.1.No.2. RAF Trerew Feb March 1944.
Chain Home 18, RAF Trerew, Cornwall.
30 October 2005
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CH18 Trerew, Cornwall.
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Norway (coming soon!)
France
Great Britain
