Site of Second World War searchlight battery, near Rushley Green (EHER 82705)
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Summary
The site of a Second World War searchlight battery in Castle Hedingham Civil Parish, thought to have been situated to the south west of Great Lodge Farm. It was manned by 33 Searchlight Regiment. The battery was operational from October 1941. It formed part of a network of searchlights named Area DN02, which along with another such area (DN01) formed a defensive belt in the Essex-Cambridgeshire-Suffolk borders area and on into Hertfordshire. Searchlight sites typically comprised a small ring-ditch to provide the crew with shelter during an air raid, a predictor emplacement for calculating the height and range of targets, a light anti-aircraft machine gun pit, a generator and hutted accommodation for the crew.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | TL 791 365 (point) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CASTLE HEDINGHAM, BRAINTREE, ESSEX |
Type and Period
Description
NRHE data transfer:
The site of a Second World War searchlight battery at Castle Hedingham, situated at NGR TL 791 365/ MGR (military grid reference) M 240550. It was manned by 33 Searchlight Regiment. The battery was operational from October 1941. It formed part of a network of searchlights named Area DN02, which along with another such area (DN01) formed a defensive belt in the Essex-Cambridgeshire-Suffolk borders area. <1>
The locational information provided in <1> places the site to the south west of Great Lodge Farm. <2> <3>
Searchlight sites typically comprised a small ring-ditch to provide the crew with shelter during an air raid, a predictor emplacement for calculating the height and range of targets, a light anti-aircraft machine gun pit, a generator and hutted accommodation for the crew. <4>
Sources
- <1> SEX60904 Monograph: Dobinson, C. S.. 2000. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England, AA/1: Searchlight Sites in WWII. p.28.
- <2> SEX75707 MISCELLANEOUS MATERIAL: Oral information, correspondence (not archived), or staff comments. Record compiler's comment, Robin Page, 12-JUN-2009..
- <3> SEX76219 Map: Ordnance Survey. 2001. OS MasterMap 1:2500. 2008.
- <4> SEX76224 Monograph: Lowry, B.. 1995. 20th Century Defences in Britain: An Introductory Guide. p.63.
Related Events (1)
Other References
- NRHE identifier: 1499118
- National Monuments Record: TL 73 NE 69