RAF Henlow is the home of the RAF Signals Museum.
This Museum attempts to tell the story of RAF signals. As yet it is unfinished but it is hoped that visitors and signallers past, present and future can see something of the heritage upon which the Museum specialisation has been built. Whichever category you, the visitor falls into, we hope you will find your visit both interesting and informative.
Checking out the T1131 VHF Transmitter
How the Museum began
In 1999, a new home was needed for the small collection of radio and electronic memorabilia from the defunct museum attached to No. 1 Radio School at RAF Locking. The Commandant at RAF Henlow at that time, Air Commodore Mike Davison, had in previous years also been the Commandant at Locking and was keen for the collection to find a home , preferably at Henlow which has had good links with radio, radar and electronics for many years. At the time, the former Roman Catholic Church at Henlow was not in use and this building was allocated to the project and in due course several packing cases arrived, were duly unpacked and this formed the basis of what can be seen today. At the same time the museum received a generous donation of surplus equipment from the RAF Museum Reserve Collection which was moving from nearby RAF Cardington to RAF Stafford. Other exhibits have been donated or loaned by other RAF units and enthusiastic individuals.
The Museum Staff are always busy re-arranging the display areas for new exhibits, especially when a consignment arrives from the RAF Museum Reserve Collection. Many important items have been loaned to the museum over the years from the Reserve Collection and these new items give us a better insight into equipment that was developed during World War 1 and through the 20's and 30's, an area not adequately covered by the original museum collection. There were also more items from World War 2 to fill gaps in the collection making it much more comprehensive for that important period in RAF electronic developments. New items included a Stirling Spark Transmitter from World War 1 and a very nice Receiver Type TF and a Transmitter Type T21C from the early 1920s. There is also a Transmitter/Receiver Type TR9J from the late 30's and early WWII, a Receiver Type R1082 from the 30's and after a long search, the matching Transmitter Type T1083. One very nice item is a Cabinet Type 20 containing a T1154/R1155 complete station and this was used on an Air Sea Rescue Launch.
Cabinet Type 20
Click for more items
We have formed an alliance with the Radio Society at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford who have kindly agreed to assist us with some of our projects. Another local museum well worth a visit is the Lancaster Rebuild Project run by Norman Groom. Norman has also been very helpful to us in some of our research and with help with a project.
One of the changes that has been made, was to convert a storeroom into a new display area, part of which now shows a typical RAF "Y" Station from WWII. The rest of the room is devoted to the training of Aircraft Apprentices and Boy Entrants for Signals and Communications trades. In the early days, Apprentice training was at the Electrical and Wireless School (E&WS) and in later years at Nos. 1 and 6 Radio Schools. No. 6 Radio School came into existence briefly at Cranwell after the title No. 1 Radio School was transferred to Locking pending the transfer of Apprentice training from Cranwell to Locking. Boy Entrant training was carried out at many different Radio Schools over the years.
Later aquisitions: A Marconi SWB8E transmitter, now under renovation, and a Transmitter type T77, both will need many months of renovation. Also new to the Museum are some WWII Luftwaffe radios and a Receiver Type R1084 and at long last a T1083. A Racal receiver type RA1772 in full working order, has also recently been donated. Recent restoration work includes the T1509 HF Transmitter, now fully working and remotely controlled by the Control Unit CU310. A Marconi HR24 Dual Diversity Receiver rack, donated in 2007, is also under renovation, another long term project.
Introduction to RAF Signals and Communications - Click Badge
How you can help us and to contact us - Click on picture
Museums on the Air Weekend 2001 - Click on picture
Museums on the Air Weekend 2002 - Click on picture
Watch us on Video -Click on the Picture
Museums on the Air Weekend 2008
We had hoped to be "on the air" for the weekend of June 14/15 as we have in previous years. However, due to unforeseen circumstances the museum will not be open to the public this year. We do hope to have an open day on 6th September where no pre-booking will be necessary. If the event does go ahead, visitors need to book in at the Guardroom, using a passport or similar for identification purposes, and obtain a free entry pass and parking permit.
Museums on the Air is an Amateur Radio event and many other museums will be taking part over the weekend.
RAF Henlow History Books celebrating the Station's 90 year history are on sale to museum visitors at a very reasonable price and a very attractive Museum souvenir pen is also available.
Site last updated on July 8th 2008
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maintained by Dave Thompson, G3OXG. You can e-mail me at
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