Monument record MBC47811 - Radar beacon for RAF Cheddington, Drayton Beauchamp

A probable radar beacon of World War II date is visible on historic aerial photographs as buildings and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located approximately 570m south of the Grand Junction Canal, Drayton Beauchamp, on the east side of the road from Drayton Beauchamp, and centred at SP 89215 13544. This site is visible as a group of three low buildings, a fenced enclosure, with a structure at the centre, and a path and a trackway leading towards it and is first visible on 1944 photographs. The beacon is to the south west of RAF Cheddington, approximately 2.2km from the start of the runways there. It is also approximately 900m to the south east of a high frequency direction finding station and 1300m to the south east of another radar beacon (see MBC47809 and MBC47810). Specialised night operations were undertaken from RAF Cheddington from March until June 1945 (Birtles p30). The station is not visible on a photo from 1942, is visible on 1944 and 1945 photographs but has been removed by 1949. (1-7)