Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The site of Marine Parade coastal battery, an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Eastern Command's coastal defences. The battery was built of reinforced concrete in 1940 and mounted two 6-inch breech-loading ex-naval guns. It is referenced as being in use until September 1944, by which time it was armed with three 6-inch guns. Aerial photography from 1979 shows that the site is occupied by housing and a seafront area and no features of the battery remain.

Monument Types

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

Full description

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2 x 6in breech-loading guns. Hythe. (1)

Marine Parade (Hythe) coastal battery located at TR 168 344. This was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Eastern Command's coastal defences. The battery was built in 1940 and mounted two 6-inch ex-naval guns. It is referenced as being in use until September 1944, by which time it was armed with three 6-inch guns. It was initially manned by 340 Coast Battery, but by 1943 was manned by 213 Battery of 550 Coast Regiment.

No. 1 and No. 2 gun emplacements were located at TR 1680 3430 and No. 3 gun at TR 1690 3435. The Barr and Stroud rangefinder was positioned at TR 1670 3430. (2)

Aerial photography from 1979 shows that the site is occupied by housing and a seafront area and no features of the battery remain. (3)

The costal battery referred to and described in Source 2, is visible on aerial photographs and has been mapped as part of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP. The battery is as described in Source 2, the aerial photographs show the initial two square gun emplacements centred at TR 16822 34347 and TR 16862 34365 in 1940, and joined by a further gun emplacement by May 1941 at TR 16904 34385. The coastal battery was subsequently removed after the war. (4-5)

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 2002/6, Defence of Kent database (Digital archive). SWX23603.

<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> Vertical aerial photograph reference number (Unspecified Type). SWX23847.

<5> RAF, 1942, NMR RAF/HLA/549 6002-6003 01-JUN-1942 (Photograph). SWX23928.

Sources and further reading

Related records