RAF 'Y' Stations etc. Discussion Thread

I purchased the book "Royal Airforce Beam Benders and can thoroughly recommend it. It is a 192 pages of fascinating details of how No 80 (Signals) Wing operated in creating methods of "bending" the WW2 German navigation beams such as the Knickebein and X-Gerat which directed their bombers to English cities. There are plenty of personal anecdotes from that time and original photos and sketches.
My interest came about because fifty years ago I had a girlfriend who lived at Bricketwood between Radlett and St Albans and even back then had a keen interest in things RAF but had no idea of the significance of these places mentioned throughout this book.
Although I have now lived in the USA for 22yrs it was so easy to obtain it through Amazon. For those interested the book ref is: ISBN 1857800400 Author Laurie Brettingham

Thankyou to member mbriscoe for telling me about this book.

I was stationed at RAF Tean in 1944 which was a sub station of RAF Cheadle, I saw the P47 crash. Was stationed at Cheadle from 1942 -1947

Roy wrote:

I was stationed at RAF Tean in 1944 which was a sub station of RAF Cheadle, I saw the P47 crash. Was stationed at Cheadle from 1942 -1947

Does anyone have any information on the Y Station which operated in Strete in Devon during WW2? It was in a field up behind the village and my uncle was stationed there. I'm keen to find out some more. (I'm new to this sort of discussion so apologies if I am not following the etiquette correctly.)

Non-existant user wrote:

Does anyone have any information on the Y Station which operated in Strete in Devon during WW2? It was in a field up behind the village and my uncle was stationed there. I'm keen to find out some more. (I'm new to this sort of discussion so apologies if I am not following the etiquette correctly.)

Welcome. You seem to be doing just fine.
This is a link to the English Heritage Pastscape entry
www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1413178

Strete features in the TNA List of 'Y' stations (HW41/101)
Described as a D/F station (not VHF) it appears in all lists to 16 June 1944, and is omitted from 27 Sept 1944 onwards.

WO199/66 classifies stations regarding their importance from 'A' to 'D', e.g. Beaumanor and Cheadle and Kingsdown were 'A'. Most stations including Strete were 'D'.

I note that EH states 'This was associated with No 10 Group RAF Fighter Command',however according to SD161 - Location of RAF Units, Strete was in No.26 (Signals) Group under No.63 Wireless Unit, West Kingsdown

The previous post might hold a clue Martin.....Home Defence Unit

I wonder exactly what an HDU was - possibly an innocuous name rather like the Chain Home stations were known as Air Ministry Experimental Stations?
The Bletchley Park list shows the RAF and Navy having HDUs, the Army, Foreign Office, RSS and Post Office didn't.

From SD161 July 1942:

In 62 Group No.63 Wireless Unit, West Kingsdown controlled the following HDUs:

Beachy Head, Folkestone, Gorleston, Scarborough, Shaftesbury, Simpsons Corner (Ingoldmells), Sittingbourne, Strete, Upton Grey.

Also unable to trace Simpsons Corner at Ingoldmells.