Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The sites of three possible Second World War anti-aircraft batteries are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as earthworks to the north-west of Lade. They are located not far to the WSW of a possible PLUTO (Pipeline Under the Ocean) pumping site (Monument Number 1533740), which they may have been intended to defend. By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959; they had all been removed or levelled. These features were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the South East RCZAS NMP project.

Monument Types

• ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• ANTI AIRCRAFT GUN EMPLACEMENT (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BOMB CRATER (Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

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The group of three possible anti-aircraft gun emplacements is centred at TR 0801 2106, and is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 across an area measuring approximately 134m east to west, and 245m north to south.

The northernmost possible battery is centred at TR 0802 2117, and consists of a line of six banked structures extending approximately 70m north-west to south-east. Five of these structures appear to be mounds with a hole or depression in the top. They vary in size, measuring approximately four to eight metres across. They are similar in appearance to nearby bomb craters (Monument Number 1533745), but differ in that they are irregular in shape. It is thought that these may have served as gun emplacements, with the banked-up shingle around the outside offering protection from nearby explosions. Towards the middle of the group, a rectilinear banked earthwork thought to be a blast shelter or similar is visible.

The second possible battery is centred at TR 0795 2107, 88m to the south-west. It consists of four banked structures aligned south-west to north-east for approximately 40m. This possible battery is very similar to the first one described above, in that three of the structures take the form of slightly irregularly-shaped mounds with a central hole; either side of a possible rectilinear banked blast shelter.

The southernmost possible anti aircraft battery in this group of three is centred at TR 0805 2099, and again consists of a group of banked structures arranged in a line; this time 60m long north-west to south-east. However, this site differs from the two described above in that the two main features each comprise a linear bank seven to ten metres long SSW to NNE, flanked by a second, longer bank on the south-eastern side which bulges outwards at the midpoint to form a bay. It is thought that these may have been anti aircraft gun emplacements of some sort. Five small round mounds with central depressions are located either side of, and in between these possible gun emplacements. They are similar in appearance to the mounds described at the two other sites described above, but their perfectly circular shape in plan view makes them more likely to be bomb craters.

The northernmost and southernmost possible anti aircraft batteries in this group of three are spaced an equal distance apart from the central example. Their arrangement in relation to one another appears deliberate, and it may be that all three were in operation at the same time; and acted together. They are located not far to the WSW of a possible PLUTO (Pipeline Under the Ocean) pumping site (Monument Number 1533740), which they may have been intended to defend.

All the structures described above are visible on vertical aerial photographs of 1946. By the time of the next available vertical aerial photograph of 1959; they had all been removed or levelled (1-2).

<1> 1946, NMR CPE/UK/1752 3002-3 21-SEPT-1946 (Photograph). SWX23759.

<2> RAF, 1959, NMR RAF/58/2778 0199-0200 01-MAY-1959 (Photograph). SWX23876.

Sources and further reading

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