Monument record FEX 250 - World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery battery and diver battery Harwich H1 and associated features on Landguard Common.

Please read our .

Summary

A World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery battery and diver battery and associated features on Landguard Common, Felixstowe

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 28620 32555 (350m by 364m)
Map sheet TM23SE
Civil Parish FELIXSTOWE, SUFFOLK COASTAL, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (7)

Full Description

A World War II Heavy Anti-aircraft Artillery battery and associated features are visible as structures and earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1944 onwards, centred on TM 28593253 on Landguard Common. The battery consists of four concrete hexagonal gun emplacements with embankments and two other square concrete structures which also appear to be embanked and are probably gun emplacements. In the middle of the gun emplacements two other rectangular structures are visible, one of which, located at TM 28563249, appears to the command post for the battery. Another possible square embanked gun emplacement is also visible to the south of the battery at TM 28613243. Numerous other World War II features are visible around the site of the battery including a group of features of unknown function visible to the north-east of the battery itself. These features include a large circular pit 10m in diameter, two narrow trenches 55m and 40m in length and a small square structure which appears to have some sort of path, possibly made of concrete, leading up to it . Possible accomodation blocks are visible to the north of the battery and a line of nissen huts is visible along the north-western perimeter of the site although these are shown on later Ordnance Survey maps. The foundation platforms where some huts have been removed have however been plotted. Lengths of barbed wire obstruction are visible enclosing the battery on nearly all sides. Two gun pits or bomb craters are visible just to the south of the site outside the barbed wire at TM 28633240 and TM 28683241. (S1) (S2) (S3) (S4) By 1973 the battery site has been destroyed by the development of Felixstowe container port. (S5)
Site of Second World War heavy anti aircraft battery near Landguard Fort, Felixstowe. In 1942 it mounted four 3.7-inch guns with GL Mark II radar, and was manned by 388 Battery of the 121st Royal Artillery Regiment. It was retained as a Nucleus Force Battery Headquarters in 1946 (S6).
Site of a Second World War heavy anti aircraft (Diver) battery in the Diver Strip at Landguard Common. It was armed with six 3.7-inch Mark IIc guns equipped with Predictor BTL, and Radar AA No.3 Mark V when it was deployed here on 24th November 1944, and was manned by 489 Battery of 150 (Mixed) Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment. It formed part of 40 Heavy Anti Aircraft Brigade deployment (S7).

Sources/Archives (7)

  • <S1> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 106G/LA/22 4010-4011 06-JUL-1944.
  • <S2> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 58/115 5165-5166 30-AUG-1948.
  • <S3> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 58/1672 F22 0204-0205 03-MAR-1955.
  • <S4> Photograph: National Monuments Record. Air Photograph. NMR TM 2832/17 (BBS 446/021) 01-JAN-1969.
  • <S5> Verbal communication: Newsome, S.. 2001 -. Suffolk Coastal NMP Project. Sarah Newsome 19/12/02.
  • <S6> Index: English Heritage. Pastscape. http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1472262.
  • <S7> Index: English Heritage. Pastscape. http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1478606.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Sep 21 2013 4:06PM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.