RAF Neatishead
Encyclopedia
RRH Neatishead, is a Royal Air Force
military
radar
station in the English
county
of Norfolk
, East Anglia
, and was established during the Second World War
. It consists of the main technical site, and a number of remote, and sometimes unmanned sites.
The station motto
is Caelum Tuemur, meaning "We Watch over the Sky". The station crest depicts the lowered head of a horned bull; and relates to the origins of the word "Neatishead", deriving from old Anglo Saxon language "Nethes Herda", meaning the "abode of the keeper of cattle". It is a co-incidence that Neatishead is near the village of Horning.
The primary function of Neatishead was as a "Control and Reporting Centre" (CRC) for the south of the United Kingdom
; it forms a part of the UK's air defences - namely the UK "Air Surveillance And Control System" (ASACS), and is part of the larger NATO air defence. It uses radar
, ground-to-air radio
and digitally encrypted data links.
On 16 February 1966 a fire broke out in the bunker, station fire teams were unsuccessful in putting the fire out and so civilian fire crews were called. 3 civilian firefighters lost their lives. Later that year LAC Cheeseman was sentenced to 7 years for starting the fire and causing the deaths.
RRH Neatishead controls the remote site of RAF Trimingham
with its Type 93 Radar. It also controls the site at RAF Weybourne
with its two AEGIS
aerials.
Neatishead is adjacent to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum.
In April 2004 the decision was taken to substantially reduce activities at Neatishead, and by 2006, the base had been downgraded to Remote Radar Head (RRH) status, but the museum remains open. The gate guardian
, a Phantom
previously based at RAF Wattisham
, was cut up for scrap in 2005 despite interest from the Radar Museum.
In October 2006 local media reported that a buyer had been found for the now disused section of the base. The 251/2 acres site was advertised again in January 2010, with an asking price of £4,000,000.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
station in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
Counties of the United Kingdom
The counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, and was established during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It consists of the main technical site, and a number of remote, and sometimes unmanned sites.
The station motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
is Caelum Tuemur, meaning "We Watch over the Sky". The station crest depicts the lowered head of a horned bull; and relates to the origins of the word "Neatishead", deriving from old Anglo Saxon language "Nethes Herda", meaning the "abode of the keeper of cattle". It is a co-incidence that Neatishead is near the village of Horning.
The primary function of Neatishead was as a "Control and Reporting Centre" (CRC) for the south of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; it forms a part of the UK's air defences - namely the UK "Air Surveillance And Control System" (ASACS), and is part of the larger NATO air defence. It uses radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, ground-to-air radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and digitally encrypted data links.
On 16 February 1966 a fire broke out in the bunker, station fire teams were unsuccessful in putting the fire out and so civilian fire crews were called. 3 civilian firefighters lost their lives. Later that year LAC Cheeseman was sentenced to 7 years for starting the fire and causing the deaths.
RRH Neatishead controls the remote site of RAF Trimingham
RAF Trimingham
RAF Trimingham is a type 93 radar station situated on the coast in the English county of Norfolk. The site is located on the coast road between Cromer and Mundesley, 1 kilometre east of the village of Trimingham. The radar station is a satellite station of RAF Neatishead...
with its Type 93 Radar. It also controls the site at RAF Weybourne
RAF Weybourne
RAF Weybourne was a Second World War anti-aircraft establishment. 'X' Flt, No 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit were based at the station between 16th May and 14th September 1939, with 'T' Flt, No 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit there between 25th February and 29th April 1942...
with its two AEGIS
Aegis
An aegis is a large collar or cape worn in ancient times to display the protection provided by a high religious authority or the holder of a protective shield signifying the same, such as a bag-like garment that contained a shield. Sometimes the garment and the shield are merged, with a small...
aerials.
Neatishead is adjacent to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum.
In April 2004 the decision was taken to substantially reduce activities at Neatishead, and by 2006, the base had been downgraded to Remote Radar Head (RRH) status, but the museum remains open. The gate guardian
Gate guardian
A gate guardian or gate guard is a withdrawn piece of equipment, often an aircraft, armoured vehicle, artillery piece or locomotive, mounted on a plinth and used as a static display near to and forming a symbolic display of "guarding" the main entrance to somewhere, especially a military base...
, a Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
previously based at RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham was a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front-line air force base...
, was cut up for scrap in 2005 despite interest from the Radar Museum.
In October 2006 local media reported that a buyer had been found for the now disused section of the base. The 251/2 acres site was advertised again in January 2010, with an asking price of £4,000,000.
External links
- RAF Neatishead official website
- Read a detailed historical record about RAF Neatishead
- RAF Air Defence Radar Museum
See also
- Royal Air Force station
- List of RAF stations