Garrison Point Fort is a rare two-tiered fort in Sheerness, built in the 1860’s over concerns of a French invasion. The fort was constructed in a prime location, providing the first line of defence for both the River Thames and the Medway, less than a mile away from Grain Tower Fort. In 1860 a report…
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The artillery battery at Longues-sur-Mer was built as part of the Atlantic Wall coastal fortifications and was built by German Forces in the first half of 1944, being completed within just four months. Constructed on the Normandy clifftop some 60 metres above the sea level, it was built in one of the best positions to…
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The bunker was built in late 1940 as the South East Army Command Brigade Headquarters. It can be presumed that this was unlike most military installations on home ground in that it was not a defensive site for use by defensive forces; like the Home Guard or Territorial Army, but an actual command post for…
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Prime Minister Winston Churchill was after a location for a new, secret, Army Battle Headquarters and came across the perfect location in Reigate; an old chalk quarry with easy access by car and a vantage vantage point on top of the tunnels that has a view stretching miles. It’s also rumoured that some of the…
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If German forces were successful in invading Britain during the Second World War, the dozens of Zero stations would have come into operation. They were designed so that spies could secretly give information to out stations, before the coded information was passed on via radio to zero stations who would then inform the Special Duties…
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The Anti-Aircraft Command Operations Room in Merstham was built in 1951 as part of Pendell Army Camp, which was demolished to make way for the M23. The Operations Room was saved from demolition, being just metres away from the motorway. The Home Office took ownership of the site in the 1960’s before handing it over…
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As aerial bombing emerged during the Second World War so did the defences. In addition to anti-aircraft batteries the Government started to build more discreet defensive positions with a new decoy programme launched in 1940 with some 839 decoys built. Potential targets such as airfields, factories or oil refineries had decoys built in the nearby…
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Tucked away in the Little Gypps area of Canvey Island is a park known as the Gunny/Gunney, and here there was once a WW2 Heavy Anti Aircraft (HAA) battery designated as TN7 Furtherwick (Thames North battery No.7). There were six gun emplacements, four octagonal early-war pits positioned in a semi circle facing east and another…
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Shooters Hill is one of the highest points in London with a summit of 432 feet. The name is thought to date back to 1226 when the land was used for archery practise; either that or a common area for highwaymen. During the Second World War several defences were built in the area to protect…
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Stow Maries is a village and civil parish in west Essex. In September 1916, during the first World War, an airfield was established at Stow Maries for the Royal Flying Corps. By 1919 the need for airfields lessened and Stow Maries was closed. The site was then considered for development as an airfield during the…
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