Site of Second World War Chain Home Station 24m, Frating (EHER 81842)

The site of a Royal Air Force Mobile Radio Unit at Frating established by September 1940. This was reserve equipment for the Chain Home radar station at Great Bromley (CH24) in event of it being damaged by enemy action. It comprised an aerial mounted in a trailer and other receiver and transmission equipment stored in vehicles. This was used in place of a Buried Reserve at Great Bromley. Aerial photography shows that the unit had been removed by 1967 and the site restored to agricultural use.

Information from NRHE A Mobile Radio Unit located at Frating established by 10-SEP-1940. This was reserve equipment for the Chain Home radar station at Great Bromley (CH24) in event of it being damaged by enemy action. It comprised an aerial mounted in a trailer and other receiver and transmission equipment stored in vehicles. (1) The buried reserve for Great Bromley located at Frating. Aerial photography from 1967 shows that the unit had been removed and the site restored to agricultural use. It also does not show on aerial photographs from 1946. (2) Station 24M (hitherto 238M) was in field just behind Frating Church. It was installed in October 1940, removed in December, and reinstated (with taller wooden masts - both collapsible) in July 1941. This reinstatement was because (like most Buried Reserves) Gt Bromley was left incomplete in 1941. Gt Bromley Buried Reserve was finished/became operable in October 1942, so Frating was out of commission at that point. At least two masts were left up, and this was removed to Stock, Essex, for test work with Marconi's early in 1943. No permanent structures would have been put up at Frating, as everything was in vehicles or loadable onto them. Frating was never used operationally and Gt Bromley Buried Reserve was only used for 2 short periods while the main station was being re-equipped. Buried Reserve towers were wooden, fixed and 120 feet high. The Frating masts were wooden, collapsible and initially 87 feet, later 105 feet high. (3)