The station, which appears to have commenced transmissions in the late 1960s, is believed to have been controlled by the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Broadcasts from Cherry Ripe consisted of an electronically synthesised, English-accented female voice, reading groups of five numbers, e.g. "3-5-7-6-1".

It is likely that the station was used to communicate messages to undercover agents operating in other countries, to be decoded using a one-time pad.

A better-known and more active counterpart, known as the Lincolnshire Poacher, also after an English folk song used as its interval signal,[1] was broadcast from the eastern Mediterranean from the early 1970s until 2008.

Cherry Ripe appeared to assume at least part of the role of the Lincolnshire Poacher, after the latter ceased transmission.