The heaviest gun battery installed along the coastline of Kent during the Second World War, Wanstone Battery (part of 540 Coast Defence Regiment) was also one of only two sites in the entire British Empire that mounted the huge 15" Coast Defence Guns. But, unlike its counterparts at Singapore, these guns never fell to an enemy attack.. Like the 14" guns 'Winnie' and 'Pooh', these two guns also received names - 'Jane' and 'Clem'. It's believed that Jane was named after the popular wartime cartoon strip character in the Daily Mirror, while Clem was probably named for Clementine Churchill, the Prime Minister's wife. The primary purpose of the battery was to deny the free passage of enemy shipping in the English Channel, but the weapons were also able to operate in a counter-battery role if necessary by using supercharge (this would increase the range from just under 37000 yards to almost 42000 yards, still less than the two guns of the Royal Marine Siege Regiment but a valuable way of bringing fire to bear on land targets when the need arose). Unlike the German batteries that were housed in huge reinforced concrete and steel casemates, the British guns here were only protected by basic steel armour housings, relying heavily instead on camouflage, the reverse-slope siting and on air superiority preventing Luftwaffe aircraft spotting fall of shot. The two guns were sited a safe distance away from each other and each was served by their own individual ammunition stores in huge surface magazines - the twin humps of each one remain today as very visible reminders of what once stood here (although in the 'Eyesore Clearance' scheme of the 1970's, it was hoped that the magazines could be made to vanish by land filling with rubbish to a high level around them - fortunately this never happened). Small tractor units pulled the shells and charges from the magazines directly to the guns, this enabled a very high rate of fire if necessary. Unfortunately it was almost impossible to operate the battery at high capacity in action due to extreme barrel wear (especially if using supercharge) and unreliability of the ramming mechanisms - faults like that could keep a gun out of action for anything up to nine days at a time until the authorities finally granted approval to keep a spare rammer motor (Mounting 15" MkII, variable speed gear rammer motor size 12 type K to be precise) on site to reduce the downtime to only a few hours. The battery was provided with underground accommodation and medical services in a shelter dug in 1941 - two offset parallel tunnels each over 200' long, joined at intervals by three 28' linking tunnels. Although still able to be seen in the 1970's, no trace can be found today due to the entrances being demolished and backfilled. The Battery Plotting Room (BPR) still exists as do various other wartime structures such as the guardroom, but as Wanstone has reverted to being working farm permission should be sought before trying to visit. Another interesting part of the site is the 3.7" AA battery - many buildings remain within the 1.75 acre triangular area. Wartime graffiti can be found in abundance as well as tally boards and notations on the walls. The whole Wanstone complex was mined and alarmed and weapons such as small arms and hand grenades kept to hand to repel any commando style raid by the Germans - a close inspection of the pencil markings on certain walls reveals the quantities and readiness of some of these. Late 1944 - and the action was heating up with German shells falling thick and fast on Dover and Folkestone. Whenever the British batteries responded, the Germans immediately switched their attentions to the guns on the cliffs; "Throughout August the Germans had been firing intermittently into the towns of Dover, Folkestone and Deal, and in good visibility had landed a few salvoes near our convoys which now steamed up and down the channel, regardless of anything. But after the attempted evacuation of Boulogne, the Germans fired all day, and every day at anything they could see. On the afternoon of 3 Sep 44, having engaged a convoy shortly after mid-day, they started random firing on land, and V.A. Dover asked for retaliatory fire from the 15-inch Battery, and the 14-inch guns of the Royal Marines. An hour's duel ensued, and on this occasion the Germans concentrated on the 15-inch Battery. Although damage to the equipments was nil, it must be stated that his shooting was superb, and one magazine and three huts were hit." The biggest problem facing the Dover guns was the sheer weight of the enemy - during an engagement between South Foreland Battery and E-Boats on the night of 4th September 1944, German guns targeted them immediately. The 15" Battery at Wanstone was asked to lay down some fire on the German positions.. "Again the German long-range guns opened up seriously, and the 15-inch retaliated, but after 45 minutes the Germans quietened down. As we were out-gunned by about 8 or 10 to 1, we were only too anxious to stop, thereby reducing the chances of damage done in the neighbouring towns." Barrel wear, as mentioned previously, was an extremely serious problem that affected the range that could be achieved as well as the accuracy; a report dated 21st May 1944 gives a breakdown of the expected life of the barrels then in place, showing that one of them was capable of firing 150 rounds with full charge but only 50 rounds using supercharge. Obviously barrels would only be changed alternately so that one gun would remain operational - refurbished (i.e. relined) barrels were supplied from the Vickers factory along with new breech mechanisms. During the final real action that the Battery took part in, the counter battery bombardment in support of the Canadians, caution was thrown to the wind and a very high rate of fire indeed was achieved - spotter planes were in continuous action over the target area to enable the increasing inaccuracies due to wear to be compensated for quite successfully. To read a report on a Dover civilian death caused by the German batteries responding, click HERE. It was during this action that Wanstone achieved its most famous victory; "No 2 Gun of the 15-inch Battery scored a success against No. 2 of the German 16-inch Battery, its shell exploding right inside the German emplacement, and sympathetic detonation of German ammunition wrecked the mounting. At 1230 hrs the firing finished, and it looked as if the last round had been fired from the Dover Guns. The 15-inch were fast approaching their condemning limit, and supercharge ammunition was running short. However at 1400 hrs that afternoon further support was required, and as a result 6 more salvoes were fired, before the guns finally refused to "make" the required range, and the "cease fire" was sounded." And so the wartime action of Jane and Clem came to an end, although the Battery continued to see service into the mid - 1950's as part of the Coast Training Regiment. Stand on the cliffs at Dover on a clear summer evening and gaze out over the English Channel at the towering cliffs of the French coastline opposite. Twenty-two miles - a short hop, the calm flat water exaggerating the feeling that if only the prehistoric land bridge that once linked us still existed, it would only take a gentle stroll to reach that other land. Twenty-two miles - a pleasant journey by small craft, or by one of the ferries that constantly ply their way between Dover and Calais in a seemingly never-ending stream. It doesn't seem much of a barrier, does it? Why, even Bronze Age man paddled across the Straits in his hollowed out logs to exchange trade goods with his neighbours. And yet.. brave the same spot on a storm-lashed day when the shoreline opposite is invisible and huge waves pound against the breakwater, as the wind pushes against you. Or travel on one of those seemingly sedate and luxurious ferries whilst it rolls and plunges in the swell and its passengers stumble and turn interesting shades of grey and green. This is the Channel's alter ego; a vicious, unforgiving barrier between Britain and the Continent. But maybe not so unforgiving? After all, it's this barrier that has protected our island from danger and frustrated many an enemy encamped in France. The Romans tried it in 55BC and discovered that, while a single trade vessel was more than welcome to visit these shores, an invasion fleet would be met by huge, inhospitable chalk cliffs that dominated the natural harbour whilst the painted 'savages' who peopled this land lined the heights and hurled boulders and curses at the interlopers. The Spanish Empire, with its mighty galleons, couldn't overcome the Channel; the combination of nature's fury in the shape of wind and tide, and man's ingenuity in the shape of the small vessels of Hawkins, Frobisher and Drake, forced these invaders to abort their attempt to embark a huge army from The Netherlands. Even Napoleon himself, that ruthless and driven strategist, failed to find a way to get his formidable army across from its encampments in the Boulogne area. Recognised as being "The Lock and Key to the Kingdom", Dover was always regarded as a prime target for any invader. On the Western Heights, huge fortifications were constructed to help protect it from landward attack, and of course the Castle on the opposing Heights had dominated the port and town since ancient times. As the technology of war improved then powerful gun batteries were constructed to ensure that enemy warships and transports would be unable to approach with impunity - Citadel Battery on the Western Heights, Langdon Battery, St. Martin's Battery, the innovative steam powered Pier Turret mounting two huge 81 ton barrels - all were designed and built with one purpose in mind: protection. The First World War ensured that many batteries retained their function in the early part of the 20th Century, with the addition of anti-aircraft weapons as well to help protect them against a threat that hadn't been envisioned by the original designers of these defences. But as the inter war years passed many of these gun batteries fell into disuse or even decay, until the dark clouds gathering over Europe in the mid to late 1930's prompted a rethink on Coast Defence strategy. And, after the humiliating and unexpected rout of the British and French armies in 1940 led to the 'Miracle of Dunkirk', followed by the fears of an immediate and devastating German invasion of the British Isles, emergency batteries were hurriedly constructed in the Dover area using whatever redundant weaponry could be located, usually from Naval stores. Built with civilian labour in a rush program, manned by Army and Royal Marine gunners who had little experience of operating from fixed defences at home - nevertheless, these were important establishments. Although demoralised by their battering in France, the troops set to learning their jobs and defending the coast. And meanwhile the experts gathered and drew up plans for bigger, better, more accurate and more powerful gun sites that would not only help repel the Germans but also enable the fight to be brought to the enemy by attacking shipping attempting to move supplies, and even reach out to targets on the French coast. All of the Coast Defence Batteries were considered vulnerable to a land or airborne attack, and a massive program of building pillboxes and slit trenches was undertaken. Local defence would have been by the Battery personnel themselves, aided where possible by locally stationed troops - with counter attacks made possible by Churchill's paranoia over the failure of the French to have a reserve body that could be moved to wherever they were needed, and this valuable lesson meant that Kent was well catered for in this way. As an example of the weaponry available 'on the spot', the War Diary for the Royal Marine Siege Regiment, (manning 'Winnie' at that time), records that each pillbox in their area should be provided with 10 hand grenades and 35 Molotoff (sic) bottles if an invasion was considered imminent - this, no doubt, happened on 22nd September 1940 when it was recorded in the War Diary for the Royal Marine Siege Regiment that the invasion was expected at any time and all positions were closed up. Even as late as May 1941, the standing orders for the Royal Marines were that their guns should be defended to the last man and the last round (an unlikely scenario, as throughout WWII the British Army never gained a reputation for 'last stands,' with the possible exception of the heroic defence of Calais in 1940. Singapore, where the British and Commonwealth forces actually outnumbered the enemy, would prove to be the ultimate example of this. Tobruk, where besieged British forces surrendered to an inferior number of attacking troops, reinforced the opinion of Churchill that, man for man and Regiment for Regiment, the British Army was no match for the Wermacht). If an invasion had occurred it was expected that enemy airborne troops would be wearing British battledress to spread confusion. Tank landings, aerial strikes, all would put the defenders under great pressure. There were even fears that the Germans were planning to use the old 19th Century Channel Tunnel workings on the French side to construct another invasion route - unlikely as this may seem today, the idea was taken very seriously at that time and the RAF and Royal Navy were instructed to keep their eyes open for discolouration in the Channel that might signify an attempt to pump away chalk slurry. Experiments were also carried out on designing listening apparatus to detect any sounds of digging as the tunnel approached Dover.. By 1941 construction and advanced planning for the Coast Batteries was, to all outwards appearances, going extremely well. But appearances were deceptive, and Winston Churchill had the following complaint to make in a personal minute to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff; "From your account one would think that everything was going on splendidly, and that no ground for complaint existed. But this was certainly not the opinion of the responsible officers I met on the spot. I was distressed by the vigour of their complaints, and the evident feeling behind them. Let me have a report each week from the Commander of the Corps Coast Artillery, and let it pass through your office with any comments you may wish to make." By 1942 the Dover area gun batteries had improved in efficiency beyond expectations, as shown in the following personal telegram from General "Pug" Ismay to Brigadier Raw, Commander Coast Artillery. Dated October 24th 1942 and beginning "My Dear Raw" (a seemingly condescending form of address to modern readers but quite normal in those days) it continues.. "Thank you so much for giving me a summary of your shoots this year. It is difficult to believe that the waste of slush which I saw after the Battle of France has been converted so quickly into such a highly efficient C.D. area. You must have all worked like galley slaves. Well done and good shooting." This compares very favourably to part of a report on the Coast Defences from a year before - commenting on the nearby Joss Bay 5.5" Battery (not connected to the Dover area guns but still fairly local), a senior officer made the following observation.. "Guns and gun houses good also kit and barrack rooms. Many of the men in this battery are of small stature, and with this type of equipment they find difficulty in loading. The men are quite smart, but a fair proportion rather dull mentally.." In 1942 the teething problems of the earlier days were gradually being overcome. Previous problems that were encountered included camouflage being ineffective (both in application and in unexpected technical drawbacks - for example, scrim from early camouflage netting had a tendency to become dislodged and clog traversing mechanisms and breech-blocks), and the supply of ammunition had improved. Even such seemingly trivial and easily overlooked items such as doors on huts being re-hung to open outwards rather than inwards, to help protect the occupants from the effects of blast, was carried out. No longer was the spoil from construction work sprayed with creosote and tar to try to hide from the Luftwaffe - more sophisticated methods were experimented with, especially at South Foreland Battery where the guns wore 'hats', fake hedgerows and trees were erected or marked on the ground, and fresh topsoil was imported and sown with grass seed to cover the exposed chalk scars. Regular overflights were carried out by the Royal Air Force and the resulting photographs analysed by experts to see what worked and what didn't, and suggestions for improvement were then filtered back down to the engineers on the ground. As the war progressed further the priorities gradually changed. The 6" batteries went onto 'Care and Maintenance' as the threat of invasion receded, the 8" batteries at Capel and Hougham found that their actions against E-Boats lessened to such an extent that they switched primarily to anti-aircraft duties, and the offensive role of the bigger guns became more important. Preventing enemy shipping movements and, after the land operations in France commenced in 1944, the counter-battery fire by the 15" guns of Wanstone Battery and the 14" guns of the Royal Marines against the Pas de Calais was the order of the day. This website isn't intended as, and never could be, a complete history of the function and deeds of the Royal Marine Siege Regiment and the Coast Defence Regiments, instead it has been constructed to act as a brief guide for those who have an interest in the subject of the 'Dover Guns' of the Second World War. If it encourages readers to learn more (and there's plenty more to be learned; the story doesn't end with the capture of the German long range batteries in the Pas de Calais, for Coast Artillery as a strategic concept continued right up until the mid 1950s) then I will be happy. If it also encourages people to wander along the scenic cliffs hunting out what remains today, or gets them digging through places such as the National Archives at Kew, or even gets people involved in campaigning for their preservation, I will be happier still. It is fashionable these days for writers to make the closing statement that 'all errors in the text are mine'. In this case I'd like to say that all errors of interpretation are mine, while all errors of fact are not. Many of the official documents and personal memoirs that I have consulted during the preparation of this website (such as the published works of Winston Churchill) are notoriously unreliable and often self-serving. Locations and code names contained in the War Diaries for the various units involved in the construction and manning of the Coast Defence Batteries are often deliberately misleading or contradictory, and although many diarists were meticulous in recording the failures and embarrassments that were suffered, others tried to put what would today be regarded as a positive 'spin' on things. How much is fact and how much needs to be analysed more closely to pick out the nuggets, will always be a problem to any student of those times. Hypervelocity weapons were regarded as an important area for research, and Dover was chosen as the site for just such an experimental gun. This hybrid weapon was manufactured by Vickers, combining a 13.5" barrel and breech mechanism with an 8" barrel, and it fired specially designed rifled shells. Although never used operationally, the gun was manned and operated by the Royal Marine Siege Regiment (who also operated Winnie and Pooh, and the rail-mounted guns Sceneshifter, Gladiator and Piecemaker). Several designs of 8" shell were considered for the weapon, and although initially it was assumed that an electro-plated deposit of copper / nickel on the surface of the shell body would help to prolong barrel life, in practice the extremely tight fit of the shells and the extraordinarily high muzzle velocity meant that the gun would be unlikely to ever go into service as an operational weapon. The large amount of time required for loading also showed how impractical it was for any kind of action. Rather than the shell being rammed into place and cordite bags swiftly inserted into the breech, these projectiles were literally screwed into the base chamber of the barrel by a loading mechanism similar to a giant screwdriver. Confined to research purposes, an initial requirement for a mere 250 shells a year was envisaged - unfortunately this would have an impact on the production of 15" armour piercing (AP) shells that caused shortages towards the end of the war. Each High Velocity shell (in the original design) needed intensive machining, as it was awkward to fit the rifled inserts to the shell body, although the contractors thought that the 60 hours work on each shell could be reduced to about 10 hours if the projecting lands could be made an integral part, rather than being separate components. Interestingly, the name 'Bruce' (named after Vice Admiral Bruce Austin Fraser, Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Controller) wasn't used at first – originally the gun was referred to as 'Wilfred', and this is the name that appears in the War Diary for 702 General Construction Coy, R.E. Having moved down from Scotland to St. Margaret's in January 1941, the Company was tasked with carrying out general building work at South Foreland and Fan Hole, as well as accommodation for the Royal Marine Siege Regiment HQ at Townsend Farm. They started working on the site of 'Wilfred' on 30th November 1941, concreting the gun position and constructing subsidiary buildings. The pom-pom gun that had previously been sited at 'Winnie' was moved to the new gunsite in March 1942 to help provide additional protection - bombing raids in the area were frequent and a stick of bombs straddled the site the following month without causing damage or casualties.June 1942 saw the new gun undergoing trials at the Isle of Grain, and over a three day period these were witnessed by officers from the Regiment. By this time a total of 18 completed HE versions of the shell had been issued, seven to the magazine at Dover and eleven to Grain (a further 17 were in various stages of production, and although some were HE, others were smoke-filled for future stratospheric tests). The pivot for 'Bruce' arrived on 7th July and was mounted at St. Margaret's on the 9th despite the railway track to the site being cut the previous day by enemy shelling. There was then a long pause until January 1943, when the gun itself arrived from Shoeburyness on the 3rd and was mounted on the 21st. Equipment trials carried out over the next two months were deemed satisfactory, and on the 30th March 1943 the gun trials themselves commenced. For this important occasion, important visitors were a must - they included representatives from the U.S. Army and Navy as well as the Commander of 12th Corps and a Rear Admiral. The results were, once again, 'satisfactory' despite the fuzed airbursts being unobserved from either the gun itself or the Observation Posts along the coast. Trials on the following day were postponed after a further 2 rounds had been fired, the cloud cover making it awkward to gain any useful data from the explosions. In February 1944 a series of trials were carried out using smoke shells -an extract from the War Diary for the Regiment reads as follows; "This series of rounds from the Hyper Velocity 13.5 / 8 inch may prove of some historical interest in that they were fired with a special smoke filling for air burst effect to provide data for experimental work regarding conditions that exist in the substratosphere. The gun in question is the only piece in the country capable of throwing a projectile to the required heights. Consequently the effort depended on weather conditions giving perfect visibility, and a period of fourteen days was set aside for the trial. It was not until the afternoon of the thirteenth day that ideal conditions presented themselves, when the many O.P's employed, ranging from BEACHY HEAD to MARGATE were all able to record results, but one round was fired on the 12th instant after which the cloud cover "closed in" over too many of the O.P's to allow sufficient data to be recorded. The bursts were easily visible to the naked eye from the gun site, much to the amazement of those present, bearing in mind that the point of burst was no less than thirty miles in horizontal distance from the gun and some ninety-five thousand feet high. It is understood that valuable results have been deduced from the data obtained by the observation of the smoke clouds produced. The work entailed the measurement of sound waves of both the shell in flight and its burst as well as numerous visual readings of the smoke, all done by H.Q. R.A. (Sound Ranging). The time fuzes used on this occasion functioned with remarkable accuracy. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that the experts' answer (after due calculation) to the question - What is the danger area from fragments falling on the ground?, was, seventy five miles radius from the point vertically below the burst!!! Further similar trials are being arranged with a view of repeating under different sets of Meteorological conditions." Following on from these test shots, it was decided that the barrel should be changed as wear had proved so excessive. This proved to be a long, laborious job, with the work beginning on 15th February and not being completed until 2nd March. 'Bruce' then recommenced the test program, firing several more airburst 'smoke' rounds over the following months (one exploded prematurely on 16th November 1944).As the war drew to a close, plans to disband the Royal Marine Siege Regiment (plans first suggested in 1941, then again in 1943 but put on hold for 'Overlord' and the subsequent Canadian assault on the German guns in the Pas de Calais) were completed. In the War Diary for the Regiment, the last relevant note regarding 'Bruce' was the following; The Royal Marine Siege Regiment Dover has been disbanded as from 14th February, 1945. The 8/13.5 inch equipments previously manned by these personnel are to be transferred to the War Office on a date yet to be decided. The small R.M party being retained until the transfer of the equipment is completed will be known as "R.M. Party, St. Margarets" Capel Battery was constructed in 1941 on former Admiralty land on the cliff top alongside The Valiant Sailor public house, designated by the War Department as "W-Works". (The original "W-Works" was at Abbotscliff, a gun battery that would have been known as Abbots Battery, but work was abandoned there and Capel-le-Fern was chosen as the replacement site). Of similar design to Hougham Battery, and mounting the same class of guns (three x 8" Mark VIII naval guns on high angle mountings), this battery operated initially in an anti shipping role and was manned by 424 Coast Battery R.A., part of 520th Coast Regiment. The advance party of 424 Coast Battery arrived in East Kent on 17th November 1941, and were billeted at Garlinge School, near Margate, where they undertook their training throughout the winter. One of the units employed on construction duties here was 681 General Construction Company R.E., and on 15th December 1941 a German shell hit their billet with unfortunate results for two of the men. One, Sapper Thomas Morgan 3774410, was killed on the spot while his comrade suffered extremely severe injuries that later led to him having his left leg amputated above the knee joint. The first two guns were sited by 12th April 1942, with the third following by the 15th May. Proof firing was carried out on June 17th. Each gun position was supplied from huge magazines at the rear and other infrastructure included an underground Battery Plotting Room, OP, two generator blocks (engine rooms, each one providing power to compressor houses alongside all three gun positions in the event of one generator being put out of action) and an underground shelter / medical dressing station. Anti aircraft defence was initially provided by two 40mm Bofors guns. Between June 1942 and November 1944, Capel Battery engaged enemy shipping on four separate occasions and also took part in fifteen practice shoots. The tunnelled part of this battery site was always going to prove to be a headache for 171 and 172 Tunnelling Companies R.E., due to the nature of the ground - the chalk was interspersed with fissures and 'pipes' of clay and sand, and many collapses occurred and the layout had to be changed occasionally. On 4th April 1941 there was a serious underground collapse which buried three men from 172 Tunnelling Coy. One man, Sergeant J. Riley, was dead by the time he was extricated - another, Sapper G. Harrod, died five days later in the military hospital at Shornecliffe. For examples of the problems encountered by their comrades in No 4 Section, 171 Tunnelling Coy as they attempted to complete the excavations, a few extracts from the War Diary of the unit... "A fall of running sand occurred in the adit. This delayed progress and necessitated the use of close timber sets over approximately 20'.. a further fall of running sand occurred on the north side of the hanging." W/E 31/5/41 "Work here was temporarily stopped at 02.00 on the 28.5.41 owing to a pipe of clay and sand caving above the working face. It is now decided to drive a pilot gallery from the present drift at a suitable point, to endeavour to locate an area of ground free from clay pipes and fissures. The area on the surface where subsidence may occur has been fenced and marked DANGER." Today a very small portion of these tunnels can be seen emerging in the face of the cliff but the rest has been sealed. Collapses in this area are still happening today and soil / sand is tipped into the depressions that appear above the complex. An underground room to the rear of the cliff OP is occasionally opened, but the Battery Plotting Room remains (at the time of writing) firmly sealed. Capel Battery became non-operational on 12th December 1943, and was placed into 'Care and Maintenance' in early 1944 due to the reduction in threat and the fact that the Royal Navy, alongside its Allies, now enjoyed complete superiority in the Channel. However, this was reversed in April 1944 and both this site, and Hougham Battery which had also been placed onto Care and Maintenance, were reinstated as active members of the Counter Bombardment Fire Command. By the early 1950's, after the closure of the post-war Coast Artillery Battle School, the army had pulled out completely and the site was left to fall into decay. Over the following years the area was looked upon as some vast playground by local children - but in the 1980's there was a tragedy when a young girl died after falling, possibly into the Plotting Room, while playing on the derelict site. The local council was then forced to take action to try to prevent further incidents like this happening and much of the site was 'made safe' by demolition, burying underground structures and covering over the gun sites and magazines with soil. In 1988 the then landowner, Joseph Copeland (who had bought this section of the site from Shepway District Council for a staggering £50,000), tried to uncover the underground Dressing Station with the intention of reinstating it as some sort of museum / local tourist attraction - this far fetched dream came to an end after he had descended only 80' or so and discovered the true extent of the collapses that had continued to take place underground. Some of the Battery site today is home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, the brainchild of Wing Commander Geoffrey Page, who fought in the skies as a young fighter pilot over this part of the country. The memorial was officially opened by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, on 9th July 1993. The main Memorial site sits to the rear of Gun Positions 2 and 3 (with the magazines heavily landscaped and providing the seawards side of an 'arena') and consists of a huge propeller laid out in stone, in the centre of which sits the statue of a Royal Air Force pilot gazing out to sea. Many people thought that this was an inappropriate site for a memorial to the Battle of Britain, and instead it should have been restored and used to commemorate the men of Coast Artillery - rightly or wrongly there was no way that this was ever going to happen. A curved memorial wall made up of fifteen slabs of two metre high black marble lists the names of the aircrew who took part in the Battle of Britain as well as the aircraft types that were used. Nearby are two full scale replicas of a Spitfire and a Hurricane. Details of the Memorial Trust can be found on their official website. The rest of the Capel Battery site, including the mound that covers No.1 Emplacement and magazine, and also the Fire Command Post, lies derelict. On 21st September 2009 it was auctioned through Clive Emson, Land and Property Auctioneers, on behalf of the landowner - the guide price was £90000 to £100000, but it sold for a stunning £144000! Fan Bay Battery was a WWII site that originally comprised 3 x 6" guns with associated magazines, shelters, plotting room, administration and accommodation areas. The Battery was manned by 203 Coast Battery RA (commanded by Captain D H N Baker-Carr), part of 540 Coast Regiment. Two of the 6" MkV guns for the battery arrived at Dover on 1st November 1940, and they were erected at Fan Hole (as far as parts would allow) on 26th November - on this same day the third gun was delivered to Dover, and it was then transported to the battery site and erected on 6th December, although much work would be needed before the guns were ready to fire. 203 Coast Battery joined at Dover in two parties on the 9th and 10th December 1940, and consisted of four officers and one hundred and eighteen other ranks. Two of the officers and seventy seven soldiers occupied the Battery site on 15th February 1941, being joined on 22nd February by a further fifteen soldiers - by this time Fan Hole Battery was structurally complete and the guns were ready to be test fired for the first time. This occurred on 28th February when three rounds were fired from each gun to act as proof of mounting. Short range calibration of No2 gun took place on 29th April. On 7th August two torpedoes hit the beach below the Battery Observation Post - quite what the intended target was isn't known! In June 1941 the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, visited Fan Hole - he was but the first in a long list of distinguished visitors over the coming months. The commander of 12th Corps put in an appearance, as did the US Secretary of State for War accompanied by Major General K M Loch MC. Only one honour? Then how about Lt General Sir C G Liddell KCB, CMG, CBE, DSO... as 203 continued their training and got ready to become fully operational, many other worthies descended on the site to inspect the progress and to partake of the hospitality offered. In this task the three Duty Officers (Captain W D Picton, Lt A D Snowden and Lt A R Pugh) proved reasonably proficient. On 22nd July 1941, a week before the arrival of the US Secretary of State for War, No1 Gun fired three rounds to test that the recoil system was working correctly - it was satisfactory and after a few more test shoots over the coming weeks the battery became operational. On 11th November 1941, all three guns fired two salvos at an unidentified ship that had been picked up on the CD/CHL sets. At a range of 21,000 yards no hits were registered but the vessel quickly fled towards Calais. The first 'military' engagement between Fan Hole Battery and the enemy took place on February 1942, when the 6" guns opened fire on E-Boats operating close to the Harbour (possibly laying mines). The biggest success noted was on the night of 16th August 1942 when an R-Boat was engaged and sunk, with the survivors being rescued by the Royal Navy. Today only traces of the gun pits can be discerned among the undergrowth, and all surface buildings have been demolished. However there are still extensive underground remains at this site, the largest being the deep shelter, constructed in 1941 by No.172 Tunnelling Coy. Royal Engineers, which can still be accessed via a hole in the ground where the upper entrance once stood. This shelter, completed on 28th August 1941, was designed to accommodate 4 officers and 185 other ranks. It can be very awkward getting in as it involves a scramble down the hole followed by a backwards descent of the first flight of stairs (very slippery as they are covered in soil that has fallen from above) and banging your head on the tunnel support rings is a real hazard - however once past the first flight the rest of the descent is easy. Beware of unsupported sections of the tunnel roof, also avoid walking beneath the remaining air conditioning ducting as it's been hanging there for a long time and could come down without warning. Mounted in brick and concrete gun houses and supplied from underground magazines to the rear (all three are open at the time of writing and are reasonably clean and vandal-free), camouflage was taken very seriously at this site. The two seawards exits from the underground accommodation emerged behind the two sound mirrors (now buried) that had been in place since the 1920's, chalk spoil from construction was sprayed with tar and the surface buildings covered with netting. The underground Battery Plotting Room nestled among the huts beneath this netting - as an aside, it's not known if this structure still exists beneath what is now a ploughed field or if it was destroyed / infilled in the 1950's. Due to the design of the gun houses, No1 Gun was fairly restricted in its arc of fire but the other two guns could be directed onto land targets in the event of a German landing, and were looked upon as a valuable addition to the capabilities provided by the railway mounted guns. These areas, given in the Fort Record Book for Fan Hole (held at the National Archives - WO192/201), are at Ash and Wingham. Grid references used in those days were Cassini (which differs from the modern Ordnance Survey grid) and so these locations were inferred from the 1941 Sheet 117A map. All of the stores, weapons and associated scrap metal was removed during the mid 50's by Bird's Commercial Motors Ltd, who were the highest bidders for this Battery (and several others in the area too) when the Ministry of Supply offered the contents for sale. Hougham Battery, situated to the west of Dover, mounted three Vickers 8" MkVIII guns (range 29,200 yards) on high-angle (70 degree) mountings. It was originally going to be named 'Burrowes Battery' after a serving senior officer who was heavily involved in selecting the sites for some of the new Coast Defence Batteries (Brigadier A. Burrowes) but this idea was soon dropped. Constructed in 1941 on the site designated by the War Department as "X-Works", the guns were designed to operate in a dual role. As well as being able to harass enemy shipping that strayed within range (or approached with the intention of making mischief, as E-Boats sometimes attempted), the mountings also allowed sufficient elevation for the Battery to put up a barrage of flak against Luftwaffe raiders. Unlike their German counterparts on the French coastline, the Dover area batteries weren't visible from the sea due to them being constructed on a reverse slope - not only did this provide better protection but it also reduced the visible muzzle flash when the guns were in action. Along the edge of the cliff, separated from the main site by the old Folkestone Road, were the observation posts. (Today the Folkestone Road has vanished and in its place lays the A20 which, while still separating these posts from the gun site, also runs over part of the accommodation area for the battery and barely misses the sealed entrance to the underground dressing station.) Underground features at Hougham Battery were similar in function (if not design) to other battery sites, although this site was provided with a combined Battery Plotting Room and Fortress Plotting Room instead of having two separate facilities. Instead of being excavated in existing ground, the construction of this BPR / FPR took place in the side of a small quarry or chalk pit and, once the cone burster had been constructed over the main building, the whole structure was buried. This still exists on the other side of the A20 and can be accessed via the escape hatch. Directly behind No1 and No2 guns was the subterranean medical 'dressing station', excavated in 1941 by No2 Section of 171 Tunnelling Coy, Royal Engineers under the command of 2/Lt J. F. Osmaston. Three entrances were originally built but, unfortunately one proved too unstable and was almost immediately abandoned, which left an inclined ramp entrance for stretchers and a longer tunnel that emerged near the accommodation area. The other notable underground features were the magazines which were built directly behind and below the three gun positions - today only the top of the hoist shaft for No1 gun can be seen, although the ready use magazine was briefly exposed and examined by the landowners and some enthusiasts in April 2005 during an abortive attempt to excavate an entrance into the dressing station. Two large engine rooms provided the generator capacity to supply the gun positions - these were constructed to the rear of the battery site on the looped 18' wide concrete road that ran from the accommodation / workshop area, behind the guns and then round the large mound made up from spoil from the building works. Pillboxes and minefields protected the perimeter, as well as Unrotated Projectile batteries ("Z Rockets") and 40mm Bofors guns. As usual at these places, unclimbable fences and barbed wire surrounded the whole site. How effective would these minefields have been if the Germans had invaded? Well, that's a matter for conjecture, but they certainly proved effective on 16th March 1944 when two British soldiers tried to take a short cut through them. One of these men survived the resulting explosion and was hospitalised with severe wounds but the other, Gunner John Marsh 14336876, died on the spot. A decent amateur psychologist would probably be able to make much of the fact that the Germans, with their martial nature and widely perceived lack of a sense of humour, would give their big guns names such as 'Anton', 'Bruno' and 'Caesar' while the British would choose to christen their own so differently. Maybe it reflected a more 'laid back' approach to war for, although in 1940 the country was in imminent danger of invasion, there had always been a feeling that, whatever happened, we'd blunder through in the end.. The Royal Marine Siege regiment was formed especially to operate the big guns that would be capable of firing across the Channel, these would include the three rail mounted 13.5" weapons that were being completed at the time. Mustering at Chatham on 6th July 1940, the advance party moved to St. Margaret's on 10th July and became involved in the construction of the camp and its defences, and an underground Medical Dressing Station was also constructed near to the main camp at Townsend Farm. The first of the two fixed guns of the Siege Regiment was named 'Winnie' after the Prime Minister, and it was sited to the west of St. Margaret's and served by a spur railway line for ammunition transport and barrel changes. It was a 14" naval gun mated to a mounting from the ranges at Shoeburyness, the whole enclosed in a custom made steel armour box. The mounting arrived at the camp on 16th July 1940 but its extreme weight (a touch over 60 tons) meant that problems were encountered in getting it to the site chosen for the gun position itself. On the following day work commenced on laying a 'road' of sleepers to facilitate the move, and within a very short time the gun was assembled - the contractors, Vickers Armstrong, handed it over to the Royal Marines on 7th August. Unfortunately the Germans were well aware of the progress of the gun, and several attacks aimed specifically at putting it out of action before it could be used took place over the following weeks. On 14th August, the War Diary for the Siege Regiment recorded that some thirty bombs had been dropped on the area by dive-bombers, and the following day the gunners claimed to have brought down two German fighters with the Lewis Guns and the Pom-Pom. Despite the pressure of working under such conditions, the gunners of 'Winnie' fired her first shot on 22nd August and thus made history by being the first British gun to send a shell across the Channel - the Germans had been able to do this for a while, and they immediately retaliated by shelling Dover. With no fire control to allow engagements with enemy vessels, 'Winnie' was intended purely for counter-battery work and also to interfere with any build up of an invasion fleet in Calais Harbour, but the crew did fire one round (on half charge) at some E-Boats in mid Channel on 24th September. Over the next couple of months the pressure on the Siege Regiment continued, with daily air raids and enemy shelling on the camp area and the gun position, and also on the construction site for No.2 Gun 'Pooh' to the east of St. Margaret's. Both 'Winnie' and 'Pooh' had two dummy gun sites each to try to fool the enemy - spaced at half-mile intervals and camouflaged in the same way as the real thing (but with this camouflage being, deliberately, slightly less effective). Life under bombardment must have been terrifying at times, and on 23rd November 1940 one Royal Marine, PO/X 100040 Harold Robinson, died from self inflicted wounds. Whether it was a suicide, or just an attempt to cause injuries severe enough to get him moved away, will never be known. He is buried in Portsmouth. December 1940 was a busy time for everyone - 'Pooh' was nearing completion and, at the same time, the camouflage was being removed from 'Winnie' to allow a barrel change to take place. It proved to be a long job, from 22nd December 1940 to 2nd January 1941 before the new barrel was mounted properly, with the old one being transported to Woolwich for relining. Almost immediately, 'Winnie' developed problems with the rammer, a fault that was to manifest itself many times on both guns. In fact when 'Pooh' began undergoing acceptance trials in early January, it was only received from Vickers Armstrong with some reservations. On 14th January, representatives from Vickers were called back to witness ramming trials, and they decided that the rammer was unsatisfactory due to insufficient speed. On 7th May 1941 'Winnie' and 'Pooh' carried out a 'registration shoot' on Calais Harbour, accompanied by the two rail guns 'Piecemaker' and 'Sceneshifter'. Trouble occurred with the R/T communication with the Defiants that had been allocated as spotters, so a Blenheim took over. Unfortunately this aircraft was shot down with the loss of all four crewmen. The Germans responded to the shelling by counter battery fire, with three salvoes of four shells each landing on Dover. Both of the 14" guns seemed to be a big draw to visiting dignitaries, and probably served a more useful function in this way than they did in their intended operational role during the early years. Presidential envoys, military observers, senior officers of different Services, all came to have their guided tours, and film footage of these trips made for good propaganda newsreels too. But although their counter-battery work wasn't a spectacular success, they both still received their fair share of attention from the German gunners on the opposing shore. On the morning of 22nd August 1942, heavy shelling of the battery sites occurred and one shell, landing close to the power house of 'Pooh', caused 28 immediate deaths and a further 36 wounded, who all had to be slaughtered later.. fortunately these were sheep! 'Pooh' was always the problem child, and was constantly in need of pampering from the technicians. A few examples extracted from the War Diary.. "23/12/42 Further difficulty experienced with Rammer Motor. New washers applied for. 8-11/1/43 'Pooh' out of action, continued trouble with interceptor valve - valve refitted but still not completely satisfactory. 3/5/43 'Pooh' out of action, having new Ramming Motor installed. 10/5/43 Installation of Ramming Motor at 'Pooh' completed & official trials held - accepted with suggestion that a modification be made to interceptor valve." The years between 1942 and 1944 brought much uncertainty to the Siege Regiment and their future role in operating the big guns, and it was decided that the 14" weapons were no longer of use. An Army report from 1943 acknowledged this fact, but was slightly wary about upsetting Winston Churchill.. "As you can see, there are no real grounds for retaining this Regiment under present conditions other than the Prime Minister's personal affection for these pieces. Will you please get a ruling on a high level, as I know it is a matter in which the Chief personally interests himself." The guns were to be put onto 'Care and Maintenance' until disposal, as the Army had no obvious use for them due to their inability to engage shipping (which, after all, was the main task of Coast Defence). Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed and it was realised that they would be needed if the long awaited 'Overlord' landings in France were to take place. And then, of course, they were brought fully into action with massive firing programs in September 1944 when they did splendid work in carrying out counter battery fire and other support operations for the advancing Canadian troops who were tasked with taking the German guns. They even diverted briefly to aid their air observer, who was suffering constant harassment from a German anti-aircraft battery.. "Disturbingly accurate fire from an AA bty was engaging the Air OP, which had to take evasive action and fly below the skyline, only climbing up to observe some seconds after "shot" was reported. At 12.50 hrs shooting was stopped to enable the a/c to be refuelled and to change batteries. At 1336 hrs the pilot reported that he hoped to be in the air shortly. On resumption at 1407 hrs the observer asked permission to direct a few rounds into the troublesome AA bty. This was willingly given and eight rounds were fired into it, four of which were seen to fall in or close to the area where the flashes had been seen. In the words of the pilot during an interview at a later date 'not another squeak came from it." The heavy actions of September 1944 ensured that both of the big guns were constantly under pressure to perform well, and mechanical as well as logistical problems were swiftly overcome by the dedication and ingenuity of the crews. A shortage of charges was becoming a critical problem when someone remembered that there were some 1940 - vintage 'super-super charges' held in stores - a road party was despatched to Chatham to collect scales and other necessary tools, and they returned to break these charges down to the normal size so the firing program could continue. 'Winnie', as well as causing alarm when a premature detonation scattered shrapnel over the battery area, also had a few other glitches.. "The misfire of Winnie at 1005 hrs Sept 17 was caused by the failure of the cable, breach safety contact No3. Nothing could be seen to be wrong with it, but on test no current would pass. A spare one was shipped and after a further eighteen rounds from the gun, this in its turn also failed. The gun was then fired by snapping together the bare ends of wire inserted in place of the defective cable, the two leads being run a sufficient distance off the mounting to allow the gun to be fired from the nearby OA's shop. This expedient was necessitated by there not being another spare breech safety contact cable. The original was taken to HM Dockyard DOVER for examination. On being stripped of insulation it was found that every strand of wire had been severed, inside the insulation which showed no signs of damage whatsoever. This also happened to the second cable. Why this fault should have occurred has not been explained." And, of course, the ever-troublesome 'Pooh' continued to uphold the reputation for unreliable ramming, but the experience and determination of the gun crew ensured that these delays to the firing program were kept to the absolute bare minimum.. "The failure of the rammer at Pooh was caused by the loosening of a grub screw which allowed a nut to become unscrewed on the brass bush that goes through the 'skewed' pinion of the gearing that actuates the perpendicular rod of the interceptor valve... QA 1 DS Bentley and Marine CE Beasley, later assisted by CQA Charles Reeves, worked unceasingly until it was in order again... Marine Beasley lay in a most cramped position amongst the hydraulic piping system, with little respite for close on seven hours attending to valve adjustment, etc." After the last actions had been carried out, and congratulations distributed far and wide, the planned shutdown of the two guns swung immediately into action. The Royal Navy was extremely keen to release the large number of Marines for other duties, and just as keen to see the 14" barrels returned for use in the Pacific Fleet in future actions against the Japanese. Contractors from Vickers Armstrong were brought down to St. Margaret's, and work on dismantling the installations commenced on 9th October. They had finished by 2nd December, and the Royal Marines then set about breaking up the roller paths and emplacements using pneumatic drills, while the gun mountings were returned to the test ranges at Shoeburyness. And so ends the story of 'Winnie' and 'Pooh'. A walk around the two sites today doesn't reveal an awful lot about what was once housed here - at Hogs Bush, the uncultivated patch of ground in the middle of a field marks the site of 'Pooh', and to the rear of this can be found the semi-underground OP / Wireless room. A couple of pillboxes still stand in the locality, as does the reserve power house and a nice example of a Spigot Mortar mounting on the path between here and 'Bruce'. At 'Winnie', there is even less to be found, just a few indentations and lumps of concrete, although some of the cordite stores can still be seen alongside where the railway spur once ran. The underground Medical Dressing Station was sealed off in the 1970's, and a recent (2009) attempt to excavate it by some local enthusiasts, in conjunction with the BBC, only managed to expose a short stretch of one of the six entrances before it was decided that the ongoing collapses in there made the task too risky to continue with.The War Department land at Lydden Spout, which had long been used for training and exercises by the army, was the site that was chosen in 1941 for Lydden Spout Battery. Originally designated "Y-Works", this three gun site was similar in design to the one that was built at Fan Hole, and it originally featured 6" MKVIII naval guns on MkV mountings, but these were replaced in October 1942 with MKXXIV guns. As at Fan Hole, these were high angle (45 degree) weapons that were capable of operating in an anti-aircraft role. To the rear of each gun was (and still is) an underground magazine. Protected control of the Battery was in the subterranean Battery Plotting Room, surface buildings were built of brick but with reinforced concrete roofs and accommodation / medical services were also safely underground in a large tunnelled shelter. Anti aircraft defence was fairly typical, consisting of 40mm Bofors guns and 2" Unrotated Projectile batteries (also referred to as 'Z Rockets'). The Battery was manned by 423 Coast Battery R.A. which was commanded, on 1st June 1941, by Captain W. D. Picton. As at other Battery sites to the west of Dover Castle, this came under the control of 520 Coast Regiment R.A. Construction and calibration of the guns was a long-drawn out process with 'proof of mounting' shots finally being fired on 15th April. On 20th August 1941 each gun fired five rounds (full charge calibration) and this process was repeated on 2nd September. On 16th September the Battery fired 10 rounds at half charge during Exercise Van Tromp. September and October 1941 were busy times for the soldiers at Lydden Spout, as the site was visited by many senior officers and dignitaries - the Commander in Chief, 12 Corps, visited the CHL radar set and the Battery Plotting Room on 17th September, Mr. Hanson, the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Parliament and Mr Stirling, ex Canadian War Minister were accompanied by Brigadier C. W. Raw on 26th September, and on 16th October HM The King of Greece and The Crown Prince of Greece were shown around by senior British officers. On 27th November 1941 at 22.15hrs the Battery was ordered to fire on an enemy vessel in the Channel - five rounds were discharged on a fixed bearing but it wasn't possible to see the target or observe the fall of shot.Langdon Battery, overlooking the Eastern Arm of Dover Harbour, was built at the start of the 20th century to be the most powerful of the gun batteries protecting the harbour. It was designated as the 'Examination Battery' for Dover Harbour, which means that shipping wanting to approach the Harbour in time of war would have to lay in the Channel under the guns until entry had been approved. The original design called for 3 x 10" and 2 x 6" guns, but the 10" guns (RML's) were dropped in favour of the newer 9.2" with a much greater range. However needs change, and one of the 9.2" positions was modified to take another 6" gun instead, and by 1939 these 6" weapons in 3 positions were what the gunners went to war with as the 9.2" guns had been removed a long time before. No.1 gun could be ranged onto Folkestone railway station in the event of German invasion, although the restricted arc and angle of the others meant that they were only able to cover the water. More modern high angle mountings were used at 6" positions at Lydden Spout and Fan Bay which enabled them to cover land targets as well as seaborne ones. The Second World War Observation Post for Langdon Battery is sited on the cliff top and was joined to the Battery by a tunnel leading from one of the old Victorian magazines. A short stretch of this tunnel can still be accessed inside the O.P. but the main part can only be reached from the currrent Coastguard station or via a locked emergency escape hatch. At the time of writing (2010) funding is being sought to renovate this building and incorporate it back into the MRCC facility at Langdon Battery. Alongside the Battery, and at a slightly lower level, is the site of Langdon Barracks which was originally intended to house the soldiers from the Battery. Over the years between construction and demolition, this site saw use as a Military Prison, a training camp, barracks and hospital, a Prisoner of War camp (412 G.P.W.W Camp) and then it stood derelict - today it's a popular spot to view the Harbour and Channel and enjoy an overpriced cuppa. A small 'U' shaped underground shelter still exists, as does the tunnel and staircase that leads down to the rear of the Eastern Arm - a very steep climb for the troops stationed there who had to get up to Langdon to report for any medical problems... An interesting account of life at Langdon Battery in WWII can be found in the excellent book 'Conflict across the Strait: A Battery Commander's Story of the Kent's Defences 1939-45'. Dover: Crabwell Publications / Buckland Publications. ISBN 0-906124-06-9. By the late Colonel B.E. Arnold and unfortunately now out of print, there are lots of pictures and accounts of life and operations at Langdon Battery as well as at other gun positions, including details of a training exercise in which the soldiers constructed a practise 6" gun mounting and holdfast on the stepped terraces of Langdon Barracks. It can be a worthwhile exercise tracking this object down, actually finding it adds something to the experience after reading all about it in the book. At the same time the remnants of the Barracks can be investigated and the search for the tunnels can begin... Three searchlight positions for the battery at Langdon were set into the cliff above Langdon Bay (a fairly unusual arrangement as other battery sites usually had the lights on a similar or slightly lower level to the guns), the only means of access being via a steep, zig-zag path down the cliff (Langdon Stairs) or from the beach via a retractable ladder. Today the ladder has been replaced by a more permanent structure but the westernmost searchlight position has vanished in a cliff fall - the other two still exist but are showing signs of severe corrosion and the usual vandalism. The lights, known as Coast Artillery Searchllights (C.A.S.L) or 'Fighting Lights' and powered from a generator on the cliff top, were designed to run continuously during the hours of darkness with the metal shutters around each emplacement closed. When needed, the shutters would have been opened and the lights brought into use almost instantly. Graffiti etched into the chalk walls of the tunnel suggest that the positions were manned during WWI. During WWII the eastern position was used to house the Fighting Light, powered by a 22kw Lister engine, for Fan Bay No.1 gun. During the 1970's the site of Langdon Battery was chosen for the new Coastguard station and demolition work prior to the construction phase was begun. However the sturdiness of the gun emplacements caused a great deal of trouble and it was back to the drawing board - the new design incorporated the buildings into the 9.2" gun positions in a very sympathetic manner and some of the underground sections were used for generators and archival storage (although the storage idea was later dropped due to dampness affecting paper files). Some of the 6" positions remain derelict with the underground magazines sealed up. It must be said that the staff of this Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and the Channel Navigation Information Service are extremely friendly and helpful, and have often thrown open their doors to groups of visitors with an interest in the wartime history of the area. Most visitors seem to enjoy the interesting mix of old tunnels with wartime graffiti and the modern technology in action above it.Folkestone West Battery consisted primarily of two 6" Mk XII naval guns on Mk VII mountings. No1 Gun (serial number 2740) was manufactured in 1915, and No2 Gun (serial number 2841) in 1917. The battery was formed and manned by the Royal Marines in May 1940 as part of the emergency coast defence scheme that saw the creation of numerous new gun batteries mounting ex - naval weapons, a panic measure as the BEF were evacuated from France. Two months later the Army took control when 339 Heavy Battery R.A. replaced the sailors - the unit was commanded by Captain D. Moore with his two Section Commanders, Lieutenant Bucknell and 2nd Lieutenant Taylor. Soon they were redesignated as 339 Coast Battery R.A., and on 23rd October 1940 Captain Bucknell (promotion came quickly in those days to competent officers) assumed command, with poor 2nd Lieutenant Taylor retaining his rank and Section Command alongside 2nd Lieutenant J. Miller. Folkestone West Battery became part of 12th Coast Artillery Group on 28th December 1940. Although fully manned and operational during the early years of the war when invasion was expected at any time, the battery was never called into action apart from the air defence scheme troops who occasionally had the opportunity to bring their ageing Lewis Guns to bear on low flying enemy aircraft. They claimed a part share in the kill of a Me.109 which was brought down into the Channel half a mile to the east of the battery, and hits on other wandering fighters were also noted - and although many bombs landed close by none actually fell within the 'fort' area and there were no casualties reported, although nearby troop billets in the Wear Bay Road / East Cliff Road area suffered light damage with windows being shattered and ceilings being brought down. An inspection report from the time states the following regarding the Battery; "339 Coast Battery, FOLKESTONE WEST. 2 - 6" Naval. Adjacent to FOLKESTONE E. and similarly well above the average. Ingenious camouflage. A certain amount of coast erosion here. Sand and water slipping on blue galt clay seems to be the trouble. Has DRF. 12' B&S being sent back." 339 Coast Battery R.A. were relieved by 413 Coast Battery on 26th May 1942, under the command of Captain A.N.M. Kearton. A reduction in manning strength followed in September with the regular troops dropping from 103 to only 80, but to compensate for this one officer and 28 other ranks from the 8th (Cinque Ports) Home Guard were attached to the battery. Their duties were local defence, manning the strongpoints and the two 29mm spigot mortars that were mounted in November of that year, but the regular Army also undertook their training in Coast Artillery practices as well so that there was always a reserve of men capable of operating the rangefinder, guns and the two Coast Artillery Search Lights. The Home Guard complement was increased early in 1943 to 2 officers and sixty OR's. A valuable addition to the Air Defence capabilities took place in May 1943 when a 40mm Bofors gun was sited to the west of No1 Gun, then moved and permanently sited on the perimeter. Officially manned for the first time at 0800 Hrs on 25th May, it was brought into action that evening when it was used to engage FW 190 fighter-bombers attacking Folkestone. Only eight rounds were fired at the enemy aircraft but two of these were claimed (and allowed) as 'hits'. During this action one man in the billet at No1 CASL was slightly injured, this incident resulted in the troops manning this light to be billeted at the battery itself from then onwards. Further minor indignities and injuries were suffered by two sentries at the Main Gate on 23rd December when a shell from one of the huge German gun batteries on the occupied French coast fell inside the battery perimeter. Numbers 3 and 4 Wear Bay Road (which were used by the troops) were badly damaged by this explosion. Folkestone West ceased to be fully operational on 9th January 1944 and the manning was reduced to only one officer and eight OR's with an additional five officers and 120 OR's from the Home Guard. The 40mm Bofors was removed on 12th February. The Home Guard were 'stood down' on 1st November 1944 and on 31st December all of the equipment was put onto Care and Maintenance and all ammunition was removed - two caretakers were appointed to look after the guns and to ensure that they didn't walk away by themselves.. The guns themselves remained in place until 1946 when they were dismantled and moved to Swingate Camp by the Armament Withdrawal Party prior to their destruction. Today there is almost nothing to show that the battery site even existed.Victory had been won, peace had descended on the Island - but still some of the Coast Defence Batteries remained fully manned and operational. Uppermost in the minds of the Government and the War Office, although never publicly admitted, was the fear that the French would take over and reinstate the German coastal batteries and thus cause problems as tensions between the former Allies grew. Military inspectors who visited the Pas de Calais following the defeat of German forces there were briefed to report on any signs that the big guns were being repaired and put back into service - these fears, as we now know, proved unfounded, although some of the guns themselves were refurbished and put into storage for possible future use in the French army. 540 Coast Defence Regiment was officially disbanded on 1st June 1945 and replaced by 4th Coast Training Regiment R.A., which had been reorganised from the 4th Coast Regiment R.A. (previously based at Aberdeen in Scotland). Four major Dover Batteries came under the command of the 4th - Wanstone 15" Battery (6th Coast Training Battery), South Foreland 9.2" Battery (290th Coast Training Battery), Fan Bay 6" Battery (10th Coast Training Battery) and Capel 8" Battery (23rd Coast Training Battery). These didn't remain static as various mergers took place at one time or another, for example in March 1946, 290th C.T.B. and 6th C.T.B. amalgamated and were based at Wanstone. The personnel for 10th C.T.B were housed at East Arrow Barracks, and the men of 23rd C.T.B. were living at Northfall Meadow. Capel Battery assumed an interesting function in November of 1945 when the Coast Artillery Battle School was established there. Intended to train the personnel who manned these Gun Batteries in 'Landward Defence', regular infantry instructors helped to instil the latest theories in the troops. (It may seem that this was an odd thing to be training for considering the war was over, but it should be remembered that there were many Coast Defence Batteries scattered throughout the British Empire at that time and they all had to be protected from attack). Capel also took over responsibility for the electronic Bofors Dome Trainer based at Dover Castle - this was a simulator where images of aircraft could be projected onto the 'sky' inside the dome, and was used to train men in the use of 40mm Anti-Aircraft weaponry without involving the expense and wastage of precious ammunition. The quality of the recruits undergoing training on the Coast Batteries was a major cause for concern - many of these young men (in 1947) had left school in 1943 - 1944 and as a result had been exposed to a poor wartime diet and patchy teaching. Diet was important - it was stressed in official reports that the men required for Coastal Defence really needed to be well-built and fit, as well as being of a high enough standard of education to be suitable for promotion through the ranks. One extract from a 4th Coast Training Regiment R.A. report states; "During the period 342 Coast Gunners have completed training. The intakes have varied considerably in their educational and mental standards. About 25% of each squad are very low grade educationally and need education in elementary English and Arithmetic. It has been difficult to find the material from which Junior NCO's can be made. The Regiment is fortunate in having a number of excellent Regular senior ITCO's but it has been found impossible to fill the Bombardier ranks which remain about 50% below strength." A later report was slightly more encouraging regarding the physique of the recruits undergoing training at Dover. This extract is dated 30th June 1947 "At the end of the quarter some improvement was noticed in the height and build of intakes, but the educational standard generally remained low and material for junior N.C.O.'s was scarce.. The Regiment is fortunate in having a number of excellent Regular W.O.'s and Senior N.C.O.'s but some of them have recently been lost to the T.A. and stations overseas. In a Regiment of this kind equipped with the most modern Coast Artillery equipment there must be, in my opinion, a large nucleus of young regulars from which future instructors must be selected and trained. There are not enough regulars and in my opinion this deficiency must be remedied now if a breakdown in instructional and administrative efficiency is to be avoided in two or three years time." During the Second World War, the Coast Defence Batteries had received less than enthusiastic support from nearby residents due to the damage caused by vibration and concussion, and the feeling that the Gunners were often indulging in unnecessary 'duelling' with the Germans, with the result that civilian properties and lives suffered. Now, with the war over, the locals at South Foreland were up in arms over the continuing use of the Battery. The local M.P., Mr. Thomas, had a meeting with the Army at that site in July 1946 (after holding a public meeting with the residents of the local area to gather their opinions), to raise a few questions about some particular firing trials that were due to be carried out. Part of the report on the meeting by Major Rowe read as follows; "Q1: Can not No.4 Gun be moved and fired from another place for the purpose of this trial? A1: No, one of the objects of the trial is to test the efficiency of certain instruments in the recording of groups of rounds fired from a number of such guns; to fire No.4 gun individually from some other place would serve no useful purpose. It may be possible to carry out the trial successfully without firing No.4 gun, and it is hoped that this will be possible, though no guarantee can be given. Q2: Will the Right of Way running along the cliffs from St. Margaret's Bay to Dover be closed to the public if these guns and the others installed during the war in this area, remain as permanent defences and are required to fire from time to time? A2: Not permanently; the Right of Way need only be closed to the public whilst firing is taking place, though it may be necessary to adjust the path in the vicinity of Fan Bay, where frequent firing takes place from the recruit training battery.. There were a number of other irrelevant questions asked by local householders, but a pertinent and persistent one was; Why couldn't the whole battery be moved further down the coast towards Dover, where there is about four miles of open ground? My general answer was; The battery was installed in its present position for a particular reason.. there is no reason to believe that a Siting Board would now select any other position for it, and, apart from expense and labour questions, the battery is in the best position to carry out its operational role." To avoid upsetting the local residents and having to pay out compensation in the event of damage to property, in this instance it was agreed that the trials would involve Guns No.1, 2 and 3 only unless absolutely necessary - another report from the War Office states; "I am convinced that under certain weather conditions considerable claims for damages will arise." At the end of the war, many possibly lethal hazards remained scattered around the countryside for anyone foolhardy enough to wander off the beaten track - unfortunately children have inquisitive natures and so suffer the worst of these things. On 12th May 1947, five young boys (living in Married Quarters) were exploring part of the moat at Dover Castle, when they were injured by a training grenade that exploded while they were handling it. An official enquiry stated that, as the bakelite grenade wasn't currently in use among the units stationed in the area, it must have been laying in the moat for quite some time. The soldiers and their families were reminded again about the unsuitability of these former training areas as playgrounds.. Despite the war being over, as in any other walk of life there were still tragic accidents and deaths involving the men based in the Dover area. Interred at St. James' Cemetery in Dover is the body of a 23 year old Londoner, 11407947 Ernest Gates, (from 290th Coast Training Battery at South Foreland), who died at the County Hospital in Dover in February 1946. Illness was one cause of premature death - folly was another! Also buried in St. James' Cemetery at Dover is the body of a teenager from Walworth in London, 14175618 Gunner Edward Gordon Beard - on the 13th May 1947, this 19 year old recruit slipped and fell whilst collecting seagulls' eggs from the cliffs at South Foreland. Whether he was collecting the eggs as a hobby, to supplement his own meagre rations, or he was instructed to do so to send them to the cookhouse isn't recorded in the Regimental History, but it can only be assumed that it was a lark that went tragically wrong. Life was tough for the soldiers of the Dover area batteries, with strict discipline, limited messing facilities and, very often, bad weather combining to make life miserable. The winter of early 1947 was particularly harsh, and the men who were living in draughty Nissen huts at South Foreland found that the fuel cuts that were imposed (due to shortages) didn't help their comfort at all. The lack of coal meant that at one stage the cookhouse at Northfall Meadow was shut, imposing a further strain on the supply of hot meals. The subsequent fall in the morale of the men can be imagined.. On April Fool's Day 1947, 4th Coast Training Regiment R.A. was redesignated as 47th Coast Training Regiment R.A. and the batteries under its command also received new titles. 290th Coast Training Battery became 4th Coast Training Battery, 6th C.T.B. became 19th C.T.B., 10th C.T.B. became 31st C.T.B. and 23rd C.T.B. became 223rd C.T.B. Almost immediately the Regiment closed down over the Easter period with everyone being sent on leave apart from essential staff and enough men to mount guard at the batteries. On their return from the comforts of home, the Regiment was visited by the G.O.C. Home Counties District (Major General Stockwell) who was primarily interested in discussing improvements to the living conditions for the troops. Authority was granted to move huts from Wanstone Battery, and also from the D2 Anti-Aircraft site, to South Foreland to replace the Nissen huts - at an estimated cost of £6000, this was given a target date for completion of 30th September 1947. Unfortunately, long delays were encountered due to civilian labour shortages, and the work wasn't completed until winter had already set in again. As the 1940's drew to a close there was a strong feeling at the War Office that Coast Artillery was a 'white elephant' that was costing vast sums of money and tying up useful manpower for no real reason. The nuclear capabilities of the only likely future enemy meant that there was no military justification for the retention of Coast Artillery. All true of course, but it wasn't until the mid-1950's that the death knell was sounded. Before it was officially announced in a Defence White Paper, the following note was circulated by the Chiefs of Staff to try to fully explain just why the axe was going to fall. "Coast Artillery was originally part of the Seaward Defence of Ports and its role was to prevent the bombardment of the shore by ships or submarines. In the light of the likely pattern of a future global war this concept is now out of date. In future submarines would be likely to use guided weapons with which to bombard a port and would do this from a position well outside the range of coast artillery. In addition the task of preventing a ship from bombarding a port can be dealt with most effectively by naval vessels and aircraft... Only in the event of global war involving the use of nuclear weapons would the United Kingdom be likely to be attacked. Major ports are not likely subjects for water-borne attack because they are centres of population and are thus probable targets for nuclear action. The seaward threat to the United Kingdom is not therefore considered significant." Although the total cost savings would prove to be a mere drop in the ocean in relation to the overall defence budget, it did release a large number of ready-trained troops for other, more relevant, duties. In the U.K. alone, in 1956, between the Territorial Army and the Regulars there were approximately 465 officers and 6260 other ranks making up these Coast Defence Batteries. A 'personal message' to all serving members of Coast Artillery was sent to the men, and it read as follows; "The Secretary of State has asked me to pass you a personal message. He would like to thank all members of this long established branch of the Royal Regiment for their service in Coast Artillery. While this must be a sad moment he knows that you will all understand the need for the Army to meet changing conditions. He hopes very much that all those now serving in Coast Artillery will continue to serve in other ways."The 'Eyesore Removal' program of the 1970's was a particularly brutal attack on the remaining structures that stood as a reminder of the Coast Defence Batteries that had played such a vital part in safeguarding our freedom. Kent County Council concentrated initially on the area along the cliff top between Langdon Bay and St. Margaret's Bay, using this as a 'trial run' to ensure everything could be done smoothly and to budget before extending the scheme to cover other parts of the County. At Fan Hole (AKA Fan Bay) the following was noted as it fell within what was regarded as being 'first priority' for removal; "..they are massive, but capable of adaptation as shelters, for those using the coastal footpath which runs 100 feet to the south, provided access to and from the footpath is secured. The gunpits should be filled as a safety measure, and accesses to adjoining rooms and shelters bricked up. The remaining canopies and external undercover walk around the gunpits could serve as shelters without further adaptation. This is one of the installations which the Ministry of Defence has offered to deal with." Wanstone Battery was also considered to be a blot on the landscape, with the gigantic surface magazines just as much of a target to the County Planning Officer as they had been to the Germans! The owner of Wanstone Farm, Mr. Hixon, had already tried his best to demolish what he could and, at the same time, brick up access to many of the underground sections to prevent children getting hurt. But then, as now, explorers wanted to see what was hidden away and a report stated that vandalism was common and many of these sites had been opened up again. Fortunately for the historians and enthusiasts of today, the following plan regarding the enormous surface magazines for 'Jane' and 'Clem' wasn't carried out.. "These very substantial constructions and the concrete protective mounds which are grassed over, present a major problem if restoration is to be considered. There is a possibility, however, of designing a scheme for the controlled tipping of domestic refuse whereby these bulky works would be buried, the finished surface being graded to enable the new formation, after topsoiling, to be merged with the surrounding agricultural land. Such treatment would require a detailed site survey of levels and the co-operation of the owner of Wanstone Farm. In my opinion the Dover Rural District Council should be requested to investigate this possibility as reinstatement would appear to be impracticable." South Foreland Battery (also in the ownership of Mr. Hixon at Wanstone Farm) covered a considerable surface area when account was taken of the accommodation and various other buildings that peppered the site in addition to the four gun positions. The RHQ could have survived and been given a new lease of life but, in the end, it too vanished from the face of the landscape; "..not so conspicuous because it is sited in the hollow of the valley and screened by trees on the north-east side. For this reason it is included in the third priority and its restoration to agriculture would be a major operation.. this is also in the ownership of Wanstone Farm, and within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and, in the longer term, should be demolished unless some acceptable use can be found for the buildings. It might be possible to use the buildings for some leisure or recreational purpose if a suitable sponsor could be found." The two large engine rooms which served the guns were extremely prominent, and unlike their third (hidden in a dip) companion, they were obliterated along with most of the remaining site. "These tower-like structures are unsightly because of their bulk and uncompromising shape. No.17 is shielded from the north by trees. No.18 has been bricked up but No. 17 has not and rubbish-dumping has taken place. Both are sited on the slopes of the Foreland Valley on uncultivated land comprising the original Foreland Estate.. within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These should be demolished above ground and filled up to ground level." Money was a problem though - demolition work certainly wasn't going to be cheap, and the available grants from the Countryside Commission wouldn't cover the total costs. Kent County Council invited tenders for the job, and a bright spark also had the idea of approaching the Ministry of Defence to see if they could carry out the work under the auspices of M.A.C.C. - Military Aid to the Civil Community. The Royal Engineers readily agreed to undertake the demolition of the sites from Langdon to St. Margaret's Bay, and their quote was considered to be extremely reasonable at only £2500. Too reasonable, in fact! K.C.C. had, in its own words, 'reluctantly' invited tenders for the project, and the nearest quote from a civilian firm was a staggering four times higher than the Army. But the National Federation of Demolition Contractors was determined that one of their members should get the job. They explained that the quotes had been high due to the Army not including wages and insurance costs in the figures - the Ministry of Defence agreed, stating that the training value of the exercise meant that it would be looked upon as part of normal duties. However, they felt that they would need a waiver from the Federation before accepting the contract, as they needed to stay on good terms with the unions. This the N.F.D.C. refused to give, and so the Ministry withdrew from the scene, stating that it would be improper for military personnel, paid for out of public funds, to undercut commercial rivals without agreement from all parties, and indeed that if they did so the whole M.A.C.C. scheme would be placed in jeopardy. His Majesty's Gun 'Boche Buster' is the name that should really be applied to the carriage of this huge beast rather than the gun itself - having served through the last year of the First World War as a 14" rail mounted gun in France, using a gun originally intended for the Japanese Navy, it was reincarnated during the crisis years of the Second World War and mounted a massive 18" Breech Loaded (BL) howitzer. Manned by 11th Battery, 2nd Super Heavy Regiment, the weapon was based at the Bourne Park railway tunnel (part of the Elham Valley railway line that had been taken over by the military) and it was intended to act as one of the final defences of the coastal area under threat of German invasion. Although by nature a rail mounted gun of this type had a very limited traverse (approximately two degrees in this case), it was possible to increase the arc of fire by adding loops and sidings to the main track and so enable Boche Buster to hit any German landing between Sandwich and Folkestone. The Bourne Park Tunnel enabled the weapon to be kept out of sight when not in action, and most wartime propaganda film and pictures shows the gun near the southern portal - but in action it would have been moved to a designated spot that depended on the target. The bridge at Railway Hill in Barham had to be specially strengthened to take the weight of Boche Buster when it went roaming. The carriage of the gun was designed and built by the Elswick Ordnance Company in 1916, and it consisted of a straightforward box structure running on two sets of bogies. The gun mounting itself (for the 14" weapon) weighed in at 164 tons and was affixed by trunnions to the side members of the carriage. A hydropneumatic recoil system absorbed the force generated by firing and this let the weapon move back approximately three feet, although the whole carriage would also have gone backwards down the track quite a distance so it was obvious that personnel had to keep clear! Boche Buster, in its WWII configuration, mounted the Armstrong 18" BL Howitzer MkI which slotted straight into the 14" mounting. Its 6' long shells, sent on their way by a 260lb cordite charge, had a range of somewhere in the region of 12 miles and weighed an impressive one and a quarter tons each. Although a formidable weapon it's unlikely that it would have been very effective in use - Luftwaffe air supremacy was a prerequisite for any German invasion and the gun would have been an easy target for roving Stukas (especially as its existence was well known) when it was away from the safety of its Bourne Park underground home. After 1943 the War Office was at a loss as to what to do with Boche Buster - the troops were sent off on various other duties and only a skeleton crew remained to maintain the beast and wheel it out for the routine publicity shots (both photographic and blank firing...). It was an impressive thing to show the various visiting dignitaries who often descended on East Kent to receive guided tours of the defences, but in reality there was very little need for the weapon to remain in place along with its sister railway mounted guns of the other Super Heavy Batteries and so it was removed by March 1944. After the Normandy invasion of June 1944, plans were made to ship the Buster over to France to help in the bombardment of stubborn German resistance points but the sheer logistical nightmare of dismantling and transport, and repairing and relaying damaged track in France, reassembly, plus the fact that the gun wasn't capable of doing anything that Allied airpower couldn't do with greater ease and far greater accuracy, meant that the idea was quietly shelved. Having been handed back to the railway company after the army had finished using the Elham Valley Railway Line for training troops in operating railways (a handy skill for when they arrived in Europe and had to get freight moving again), the Elham Valley Line only saw brief civilian service again until closure in June 1947. Although stations were demolished and track removed, the Bourne Park tunnel remains today and is only used by the local farmer for storage. Obvious traces of its wartime use still exist, such as the steps on each side of the portal, while the magazines in the embankment at Bishopsbourne also remain. Boche Buster itself has now vanished into obscurity - the 18" howitzer went back into storage very briefly before being cut up for scrap, followed by the 30-wheeled carriage that had supported it and had seen service in two countries, in two World Wars, and had been visited by Kings, Princes, Ambassadors, Prime Ministers and other worthies. At the urging of Winston Churchill, after viewing several possibilities the War Office Siting Board eventually decided on Hope Farm as the best place for the construction of what would have been the largest and most powerful Gun Battery in the whole Dover scheme. Although the idea of obtaining a pair of 16" Coast Defence guns from the United States originated with the Prime Minister, his subordinates loyally followed through on this in the full expectation that it was Churchill himself who would obtain the weapons through his personal contacts. Unfortunately, having started the ball rolling, Churchill found other more pressing matters to concern him and his plan were left to his baffled colleagues to take further. In August 1940, Winston Churchill wrote to General Ismay about his ideas; "I am also endeavouring to obtain from United States at least a pair of their l6-inch coast defence weapons. These fire 45,000 yards, throwing a ton and a quarter, without being super-charged. They should therefore be very accurate. General Strong, United States Army, mentioned this to me as a promising line. He thought, without committing his Government, that the United States Army might be prepared to take a couple of these guns and their carriages away from some of their twin batteries. Let me know all details about these guns. It ought to be possible to make the concrete foundation in three months, and I expect it would take as long to get these guns over here. There are very few ships that can carry them on their decks." The 16" barrels, manufactured at the Bethlehem Iron Works, had originally been intended for the Lexington and South Dakota class warships that had been cancelled under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. These surplus guns were therefore passed to the U.S Army for Coast Defence use, and were mated to modified carriages based on the original 1919 Army version of the heavy weapon. The gun was capable of firing a 2,240 lb (1,020 kg) projectile to a range of 26 miles (42 km) - if the Hope Farm Battery had been constructed, then these large guns would have been more than a match for the German batteries on the French shore. However, unlike the 15" battery at Wanstone Farm, there would have been a huge problem with barrel wear as replacement pieces (at 500 tons each, these barrels would not have been easy to transport, let alone source) were unlikely to have been available. Ammunition for the Battery would also have proved problematical - the supply of the far more readily available 15" shells became scarce as 'Jane' and 'Clem' operated against enemy shipping and also with their counterparts on the French coast in 1944, and so a steady supply of 16" ammunition for Hope Farm would have been extremely unlikely. It would be interesting to speculate on what, if any, names would have been given to the guns of this Battery: The Army at Wanstone Farm had 'Jane' and 'Clem'; the Royal Marines had 'Winnie', 'Pooh' and 'Bruce' - it's unlikely that the two 16" heavies would have escaped being christened. 'Teddy' and 'Eleanor', after the President of the United States and his First Lady, would be my suggestion.. Unlike their German opponents, the Hope Farm guns would not have been housed in reinforced concrete casemates - instead, as at Wanstone Farm, they would have been sited in a hollow, separated and able to act independently from each other, and protected by shields and aerial camouflage. Railway track would have been laid to enable construction work to proceed at a fast pace and also to facilitate barrel removal / replacement. A reasonable assumption to make is that the ammunition would have been housed in large surface magazines protected by reinforced concrete and earth, feeding the guns via self-propelled trolleys running on concrete roadways. However, despite the best efforts of the Siting Board and the architects, there was one question that was uppermost in everyone's mind.. "Where are the guns?" A message from General Macready to General Ismay in December 1940.. "...the Prime Minister is endeavouring to obtain two or more 16-inch Coast Defence guns from United States. Actually in the Dover project two 16-inch guns were considered. The construction of emplacements will have to be begun well in advance, if these guns materialise.. I would be very grateful if you would let me know how this matter stands." After some more correspondence between the military and Downing Street, it appeared as if the Prime Minister had either forgotten about his plans or had merely moved on to other matters and had left it all for the War Office to sort out. But were the War Office really that keen on obtaining these weapons? 20th January 1941.. "On 9th December, General Macready wrote to enquire how the matter stood, as they would have to consider constructing emplacements. I searched our records, and could find no further mention; and I wrote to Mr. Martin on 15th December, and asked him whether he could have a search made through the Prime Minister's papers to see whether he ever asked the President for these guns. I got a preliminary verbal reply from Mr. Martin some time later, to say that they could find nothing, but I have not had any written reply on the subject. I am afraid the matter got overlooked in the rush until a few days ago, when I wrote to General Macready apologizing for the delay in answering his letter, and saying that, as far as we knew, nothing could be found, and that it seemed fairly certain that the Prime Minister had taken no action. In my letter you will see that I suggested that they should pursue the matter through the North American Purchasing Commission if they wished to. General Macready has now written back saying that he feels we must obtain the Prime Minister's instructions on the matter. It does not look as if the War Office were particularly anxious to get the guns, as it would take such a tremendous time to install them. I hardly think that this is a matter which the Prime Minister would care to take up specially with the President. At the same time, we can hardly reply to the War Office without putting the matter to the Prime Minister at all..." Probably the only person able (and willing) to approach Churchill directly about this matter was his friend, and chief military adviser, General 'Pug' Ismay. He swiftly despatched a letter to the Prime Minister on the 21st January 1941, asking how the matter stood. "In a Minute which you addressed to me on 30th August, 1940... you said that you were endeavouring to obtain from the United States at least a pair of their 16-inch coast defence weapons, with the object of mounting them in the Dover Area. As far as I can trace the matter, the proposal that such guns might be spared for us has never been specifically put forward in any of your communications to the President, and the War Office now enquire whether they should pursue the matter themselves through the North American Purchasing Commission, as part of the steps which they are taking to obtain weapons from the United States. The packing, shipment, and installation of 16-inch guns would of course be a very lengthy business, and they could hardly come into action before the Spring of 1942. Nevertheless, it might be worth while trying to get these guns, even if a change in the situation meant that they would eventually be installed somewhere other than Dover. May I therefore tell the War Office that you approve their taking the matter up through their own channel with the United States?" The response from Churchill was distinctly lacking in either enthusiasm or further direction - the single word - 'Yes' - and his initials to show that he'd read it. And so all further progress was left to the North American Purchasing Commission who, understandably enough at this period of the war, had other priorities. The scheme foundered and was discretely swept under the carpet. The rather laconic note, made by a senior Army officer during a site inspection, was that it was doubtful that the equipment would ever materialise. This, of course, proved correct and the Wanstone Farm 15" Battery remained supreme as the largest, most powerful and most prestigious in the Dover Area, and indeed the only Battery that proved capable of providing a reliable and sustained bombardment in support of the Canadian Army during their September 1944 assault in the Pas de Calais. Langdon Battery, overlooking the Eastern Arm of Dover Harbour, was built at the start of the 20th century to be the most powerful of the gun batteries protecting the harbour. It was designated as the 'Examination Battery' for Dover Harbour, which means that shipping wanting to approach the Harbour in time of war would have to lay in the Channel under the guns until entry had been approved. The original design called for 3 x 10" and 2 x 6" guns, but the 10" guns (RML's) were dropped in favour of the newer 9.2" with a much greater range. However needs change, and one of the 9.2" positions was modified to take another 6" gun instead, and by 1939 these 6" weapons in 3 positions were what the gunners went to war with as the 9.2" guns had been removed a long time before. No.1 gun could be ranged onto Folkestone railway station in the event of German invasion, although the restricted arc and angle of the others meant that they were only able to cover the water. More modern high angle mountings were used at 6" positions at Lydden Spout and Fan Bay which enabled them to cover land targets as well as seaborne ones. The Second World War Observation Post for Langdon Battery is sited on the cliff top and was joined to the Battery by a tunnel leading from one of the old Victorian magazines. A short stretch of this tunnel can still be accessed inside the O.P. but the main part can only be reached from the currrent Coastguard station or via a locked emergency escape hatch. At the time of writing (2010) funding is being sought to renovate this building and incorporate it back into the MRCC facility at Langdon Battery. Alongside the Battery, and at a slightly lower level, is the site of Langdon Barracks which was originally intended to house the soldiers from the Battery. Over the years between construction and demolition, this site saw use as a Military Prison, a training camp, barracks and hospital, a Prisoner of War camp (412 G.P.W.W Camp) and then it stood derelict - today it's a popular spot to view the Harbour and Channel and enjoy an overpriced cuppa. A small 'U' shaped underground shelter still exists, as does the tunnel and staircase that leads down to the rear of the Eastern Arm - a very steep climb for the troops stationed there who had to get up to Langdon to report for any medical problems... An interesting account of life at Langdon Battery in WWII can be found in the excellent book 'Conflict across the Strait: A Battery Commander's Story of the Kent's Defences 1939-45'. Dover: Crabwell Publications / Buckland Publications. ISBN 0-906124-06-9. By the late Colonel B.E. Arnold and unfortunately now out of print, there are lots of pictures and accounts of life and operations at Langdon Battery as well as at other gun positions, including details of a training exercise in which the soldiers constructed a practise 6" gun mounting and holdfast on the stepped terraces of Langdon Barracks. It can be a worthwhile exercise tracking this object down, actually finding it adds something to the experience after reading all about it in the book. At the same time the remnants of the Barracks can be investigated and the search for the tunnels can begin... Three searchlight positions for the battery at Langdon were set into the cliff above Langdon Bay (a fairly unusual arrangement as other battery sites usually had the lights on a similar or slightly lower level to the guns), the only means of access being via a steep, zig-zag path down the cliff (Langdon Stairs) or from the beach via a retractable ladder. Today the ladder has been replaced by a more permanent structure but the westernmost searchlight position has vanished in a cliff fall - the other two still exist but are showing signs of severe corrosion and the usual vandalism. The lights, known as Coast Artillery Searchllights (C.A.S.L) or 'Fighting Lights' and powered from a generator on the cliff top, were designed to run continuously during the hours of darkness with the metal shutters around each emplacement closed. When needed, the shutters would have been opened and the lights brought into use almost instantly. Graffiti etched into the chalk walls of the tunnel suggest that the positions were manned during WWI. During WWII the eastern position was used to house the Fighting Light, powered by a 22kw Lister engine, for Fan Bay No.1 gun. During the 1970's the site of Langdon Battery was chosen for the new Coastguard station and demolition work prior to the construction phase was begun. However the sturdiness of the gun emplacements caused a great deal of trouble and it was back to the drawing board - the new design incorporated the buildings into the 9.2" gun positions in a very sympathetic manner and some of the underground sections were used for generators and archival storage (although the storage idea was later dropped due to dampness affecting paper files). Some of the 6" positions remain derelict with the underground magazines sealed up. It must be said that the staff of this Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and the Channel Navigation Information Service are extremely friendly and helpful, and have often thrown open their doors to groups of visitors with an interest in the wartime history of the area. Most visitors seem to enjoy the interesting mix of old tunnels with wartime graffiti and the modern technology in action above it. The four gun, 9.2" battery at South Foreland was officially sited by the War Office Siting Board on September 30th 1940 - consisting of 35 degree elevation mountings supplied by Shoeburyness and Woolwich Arsenal, and veteran 9.2" MkX barrels with a range of over 36,000 yards. The four gun positions were to be camouflaged with the addition of leafy 'hats', situated on a reverse slope to reduce the muzzle flash signature, and with hedgerows and trees placed to provide the impression of domestic use land to Luftwaffe overflights. Guns 1 and 4 were served by individual underground magazines and shell stores feeding directly into the rear of the gun pits, while Guns 2 and 3 were supplied from a huge twin-humped surface magazine protected by a very thick capping of reinforced concrete. (The original design called for underground magazines for Guns 2 and 3, but this was altered at an early stage). Like all reinforced concrete structures designed to house explosives at this time, the reinforcing rods formed a mesh within the concrete that would act as a 'cone burster', i.e. would detonate any incoming projectile before it had succeeded in penetrating the whole depth of the concrete. This surface magazine, along with the huge power houses that provided the electricity supply to the gun positions, was (and still is) the dominating feature of the landscape. The two underground magazines for Guns 1 and 4 were obviously smaller and less visible as the roofs were at ground level, but the construction methods employed ensured that they should, in theory at least, have been able to withstand a direct hit from a bomb or a shell (although an unlucky hit from one of the German guns on the French coast, such as a 16", would probably have been enough to penetrate and destroy the buildings). Excavations on the Battery site commenced on 28th December 1940, with the civilian firm of Richard Costain Ltd being the prime contractor for the surface structures such as the gun emplacements, engine rooms and the like. 702 Constructional Coy, R.E. were responsible for the accommodation. Designated as 290 Coast Defence Battery, part of 540 Coast Defence Regiment, the site also housed the Regimental Headquarters alongside South Foreland Lighthouse. Underground facilities at the site (the mining of which commenced on 13th March 1941) included the Battery Plotting Room (BPR) and Fortress Plotting Room (FPR), with the FPR and RHQ sharing a tunnelled shelter. This complex was accessed by two sets of stairways that entered either end of the individual 100' long parallel tunnels, which were joined to each other by three 36' long chambers. To the rear of Guns 2 and 3 was the Battery Shelter itself, a vast underground complex with three protected stairway entrances leading down into two 150' long parallel tunnels interconnected by three 8' x 9', 50' long chambers that housed medical services and sleeping quarters. On 28th March 1941 an accident occurred in this shelter when a sapper, 4691692 A.W. Beardmore of No.3 section 172 Tunnelling Coy, was struck by a runaway tub as he descended an incline "in the execution of his duty". Suffering a fractured skull, he was admitted to hospital in Hayward's Heath where he died of his injuries on 7th April, the body being sent back to Wakefield in Yorkshire to the mining community from where he came. The first of the barrels and mountings arrived from Shoeburyness at South Foreland on 25th March 1941 for No.1 Gun, and the erection process was begun with the aid of a 20 ton gantry. No.2 gun made its appearance (coming from Woolwich) six days later, with the remaining pedestals and barrels arriving between 4th June and 10th June. Shortly after this, the CD/CHL radar station also became operational. On 9th July the first three rounds were fired by No.1 Gun for 'proof of mounting' purposes. No.3 Gun was mounted and in place on 28th July with the first three proofing rounds being fired from this one on 11th September - which just goes to show the time needed between installing the weapons and actually being able to put them into action! Calibration of Guns 1-3 took place over two days in October, at around the same time No.4 Gun was being made ready for its first test firing, which eventually took place on 28th November, long after the other three were officially in service and the Regimental Headquarters had been occupied. Obviously, the whole purpose of the long range guns at South Foreland Battery was to deny the safe passage of enemy shipping through the English Channel - the biggest test of the ability to do this came on 12th February 1942. During the celebrated 'Channel Dash', the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen had broken out from the French port of Brest and with a screen of destroyers, U Boats and Luftwaffe air cover had headed up the Channel in an attempt to reach the safety of German waters. Although long expected, it had always been assumed that the Germans would try to break out and force passage during the hours of darkness - this bold daylight attempt caught the British defences almost completely off guard. The K band radar at South Foreland began tracking the ships at around noon of 12th February, and the Battery opened fire 20 minutes later. Unfortunately, due to the range and the weather conditions at the time, there was no sighting of 'fall of shot' and the Battery commenced full salvo firing entirely under the control of the radar. With the range rapidly increasing (the German ships were steaming at a full 30 knots) a total of 33 rounds were expended at the targets and it was believed at the time that four hits were registered. Donald Thomsett, writing for the Kent History Forum regarding his Second World War experiences, made the following comment about working at South Foreland Battery as a civilian contractor at the time of the 'Dash'. "As an apprentice I worked on several Defence sites in the Dover District during the years 1940-1943 when I then joined the RAF. We were mainly working on installation of main cables to the various sites; most of the control equipment was done by the R.E.M.E. At the time of the 'Channel Dash' although we were working in the Battery control room all that we knew was that they were firing at something in the Straits of Dover. Next day, or maybe the day after, we read about what had happened in the papers. While working there of course security was very strict and a special pass was needed." The escape of these German warships was a huge blow to the country and to the prestige of the Dover batteries, although the newspapers at the time made much of the gallant sacrifice of the Swordfish crews from the Fleet Air Arm, flying from RAF Manston in Thanet, who bravely pressed home their attack (the leader, Eugene Esmonde, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for this action). The noted M.P and diarist Henry 'Chips' Channon said; "The country is more upset about the escape of the German battleships than over Singapore.." As a point of interest, three of the four guns at South Foreland were, at one stage, named for these German capital ships (the fourth was named 'Shoeburyness) but if these names were given before the 'Dash' to symbolise the intention to deny the passage of these ships, or afterwards in celebration of this disappointing action, is unclear. South Foreland Battery often suffered at the hands of the German gunners, always eager to try and silence the harassing fire that affected their convoys so badly. One mild example, quoted from an official history of 540 Coast Defence Regiment, mentions the following from 1944; "During this action, the German batteries staged a very strenuous "hate" against the Fire Command and did some superficial damage in the 9.2-inch Battery. As a result the 15-inch Battery were ordered to retaliate, in conjunction with the Royal Marine Guns which were firing for the first time since 1941. 10 salvoes were dropped in each of three enemy sites". By the end of the war, the four guns of South Foreland 9.2" Battery had expended a grand total of 2,248 shells between them, the majority in 1944 - a huge amount considering that enemy shipping losses credited to, and shared between, all of the Dover batteries during the Second World War was listed as a confirmed 28 vessels.. A fair exchange? Possibly, as it must be taken into account that not only were these ships carrying vital supplies, but also that every round fired acted as a deterrent to the enemy trying to force passage through the Straits. Just to the west of the Battery area itself was the Regimental Headquarters for 540 Coast Defence Regiment. Underground shelter was provided here (and shared with the occupants of the nearby Fortress Plotting Room). The R.H.Q. was comprised of workshops, Nissen Huts and an M.T. Section that was also responsible for maintaining the powered trolleys that transported the ammunition from the surface magazines to No.2 and 3 Guns. Totally demolished after the demise of the Coast Training Regiment that took over here after the end of the Second World War, today there is nothing to see apart from a field and the remains of the military road to the north of South Foreland Lighthouse.
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Gatekeepers
The Guns of Dover in WWII
Copyright © 2010 John Vaughan.