RAF Bempton

Royal Air Force Bempton
Royal Air Force Bempton
Located near Bempton, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
	Royal Air Force Bempton
Site information
Open to; the public	No
Site history
Built	1940
In use	1940 - 1972

RAF Bempton was an RAF station situated at Bempton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Bridlington. During the Second World War it was established as a radar station and in later years became part of the Chain Home Low network.

Operational history

1940 The first CHL radar station was installed in early 1940 a few hundred feet from the lighthouse at Flamborough Head. This was at an elevation of 130 feet (40 m); at this height performance proved to be very unsatisfactory. A new higher site was found four miles up the coast on the 350 feet (110 m) cliffs at Bempton.^[1]
The new site was opened in July 1940 as RAF Bempton. It was a CHL station.
1941 became a CHL/CHEL radar station.^[2]
It disbanded on 1 August 1945.
1945 - Air Ministry Experimental Station Type 31
1 June 1949, re-established as a CHL/CHEL radar station.
17 February 1950 - transferred to RAF Fighter Command.
On 1 November 1951 it was renamed as 146 Signals Unit Bempton rebuilt as a CEW radar station, part of the ROTOR Programme.
The 146 Signals Unit was disbanded on 1 December 1961
Bempton became a satellite station of RAF Patrington until final closure in April 1972

The site was sold in 1980/81 and is now privately owned.

RAF Operational Record Books