Chain Home: airmen and WAAF operators at work in the wooden Receiver hut at Ventnor CH, Isle of Wight, during the Battle of Britain

The use of radio waves to detect objects was first developed by British engineers in the 1930s and this new technology proved to be a useful tool during WW2. Radar could pick up incoming enemy aircraft at a range of 80 miles and played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain by giving air defences early warning of German attacks.