Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Second World War battery known as the Dungeness West Coastal Battery was recorded nearby from documentary sources. This area was surveyed from historic aerial photographs of the 1940s, which has resulted in the suggested location of this monument moving approximately 280m to the south-west. No trace of the battery was visible by the time of vertical aerial photographs of 1958. This feature has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East RCZAS NMP project.

Monument Types

• COASTAL BATTERY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Dungeness West coastal battery located at TR 0915 1685. This was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Eastern Command's coastal defences. The battery was commissioned in July 1940 and mounted two 4.7-inch ex-naval guns. It was armed until at least September 1944. It was manned by 194 Battery of 551 Coast Regiment. A second battery for 6-inch guns was located at Dungeness East (TR 0930 1690).

The gun emplacements were located at TR 0915 1685 and the Barr and Stroud rangefinder at TR 0925 1680. (1-2)

Aerial photography from 2000 shows that the site is occupied by beach and housing and no features of the battery remain. (3)

Two structures which have been interpreted as the Second World War Dungeness West Coastal Battery are visible on aerial photographs of 1942 on the seafront to the south of the Old Lighthouse at Dungeness. The site is centred at TR 0891 1669, and the barbed wire perimeter covers a sub-rectangular area extending approximately 72m WSW to ENE and 23m NNW to SSE. This site was previously recorded from documentary sources as being located at TR 0915 1685, approximately 280 to the north-east.

The two tall battery structures are square in plan view, and measure six metres across. They are spaced 27m apart, immediately inland of the anti-invasion beach scaffolding (Monument Number 1533475). Oblique aerial photographs of 1941 clearly show the two identical coastal battery structures. They are taller than the anti-invasion beach scaffolding, and have openings facing the sea. In the 1941 photograph the westernmost structure appears to have shutters closed over this opening.

They are located in close proximity to other Second World War defensive structures, such as barbed wire, weapons pits and connecting slit trenches, and a mobile anti-aircraft battery or possible searchlight battery which is visible on the 1941 aerial photographs immediately in front of the coastal battery (these features were all recorded as Monument Number 1533417).

By the time of the vertical aerial photograph of 1958, the Dungeness West Coastal Battery, along with the barbed wire, beach scaffolding and other structures had all been removed (4-6).

C. Dobson, 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England: Coast Artillery 1900-1956 (Monograph). SKE52187.

<1> Dobinson, C., 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.1. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956, 6.1 pp 61 (Monograph). SWX23710.

<2> Dobinson, C., 2000, Twentieth century fortifications in England. Volume 6.2. Coast Artillery, 1900-1956, 6.2 pp 304 (Monograph). SWX23711.

<3> ?, Twentieth century military recording project: World War Two Coastal Batteries, pp 89 (Unspecified Type). SWX23712.

<4> RAF, 1941, NMR TR 0816/8 RAF/GHQ/156 0649 27-MAY-1941 (Photograph). SWX23616.

<5> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23908.

<6> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23870.

Sources and further reading

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