Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Second World War anti aircraft site and a Light Anti Aircraft Diver battery are visible as earthworks, buildings and a structure on aerial photographs taken in 1941 and 1946. The earthworks are visible as a soilmark and the structure has been removed on aerial photographs taken in 1966. The diver battery comprises a line of at least 6 gun emplacements surrounded by barbed wire obstruction. This was armed with eight 20mm Polsten guns, and was manned by H3/2722 RAF Regiment when it was deployed here on 2nd August 1944. The diver battery has incorporated an earlier anti aircraft site which comprises an observation post, three gunposts and four military buildings. The largest of these is a Nissen hut, and is flanked by a berm to the seaward side. This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2).

Monument Types

• GUNPOST (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• LIGHT ANTI AIRCRAFT (DIVER) BATTERY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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Site of a Second World War light anti aircraft (Diver) battery south-east of Abbots Land Farm. This was armed with eight 20mm Polsten guns, and was manned by H3/2722 RAF Regiment when it was deployed here on 2nd August 1944. It formed part of the 71 Light Anti Aircraft Artillery Brigade deployment (1)

A Second World War Light Anti Aircraft Diver battery is visible as earthworks, buildings and a structure on aerial photographs taken in 1946. The earthworks are visible as a soilmark and the structure has been removed on aerial photographs taken in 1966. The site as a whole is centred on TR 26910 38611. The diver battery is centred on TR 26915 38637 and comprises a line of at least 6 gun emplacements surrounded by barbed wire obstruction. The diver battery has incorporated an earlier anti aircraft site which comprises an observation post, three gunposts and four military buildings. The largest of these is a Nissen hut, and is flanked by a berm to the seaward side.

The Diver battery┬┐s gun emplacements face SSW, and comprises four pits flanked by two gunposts defined by banks to the west and a more amorphous bank to the east. The barbed wire obstruction extends between TR 26967 38586 and TR 26716 38721.

This site has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP (Component 2) (2-4).

<1> Dobinson, C., Operation Diver : England's Defence Against the Flying Bomb, June 1944-March 1945, pp 217 (Monograph). SWX23707.

<2> RAF, 1946, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1093 4003-4004 03-JAN-1946 (Photograph). SWX23796.

<3> RAF, 1966, NMR RAF/V58/7170 0154-0155 06-JAN-1966 (Photograph). SWX23948.

<4> RAF, 1941, NMR RAF/26H/UK/1443 3324-3325 02-FEB-1941 (Photograph). SWX23841.

Sources and further reading