October 2024 - Magazine - Page 18
W
ith the introduction of flight, Britain was now vulnerable to invasion not only
by sea but by air as well. The English Channel was no longer a natural barrier.
The Battle of Britain underground
bunker at Uxbridge was constructed
by Robert McAlpine, starting in 1938.
A 60ft hole was dug and in 1939
a two-story operations room was
built in seven months being fully
operational nine days before war was
declared. It was maned 24 Hours a
day over four shifts by 70 personnel
in each shift where 80% were
women of the Women’s Auxiliary Air
Force (WAAF).
The British had developed an air defence network that gave them a critical
advantage during the Battle of Britain. The Dowding System – named after RAF
Fighter Command’s Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding. He
brought together technology, ground defences and fighter aircraft into a unified
system of defence. It was the first Integrated Air Defence System in the world.The
system had a clearly defined chain of command, enabling control of both the flow
of intelligence on incoming raids and the communication of orders.
The Royal Air Force organised the defence
of Britain into four geographical areas,
called ‘Groups’. These were further divided
into sectors. The main fighter airfield in
each sector – called the ‘Sector Station’
– was equipped with an Operations Room
from where the fighters were directed into
combat.
A chain of radar stations along the south
and east coasts, it was just called Chain
Home Stations, gave early warning of Nazi
raids as they approached Britain. Radar
was able to plot the position and height of
any incoming aircraft. But radar pointed
away from the British coast and could not
detect aircraft once they were inland. It
was supported by the Observer Corps who
tracked incoming raids using anti-aircraft,
searchlight and barrage balloons. These
all played vital roles in Britain’s defence.
Members of the WAAF served as radar
operators and worked as plotters. By July,
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