Monument record TQ 77 SE 229 - Second World War Embarkation Hard Site Nu1, Upper Upnor

An embarkation hard was located at Upper Upnor. It was probably constructed in 1944.(1,2)

A Second World War embarkation hard located at Pontoon Hard in Upnor (TQ 758 701). This was a 4-berth hard that was built between 1942 and 1943 for landing craft carrying troops (LCT). It was controlled by Nore Command.
Further embarkation hards for Nore Command were located at Stansgate Abbey (TQ 931 059), Stone Point (TQ 953 063), Cat House (TM 194 391), three sites at Landguard (TM 282 313, TM 284 320, TM 284 327) and Shornmead (TQ 691 748). A further five sites at Tilbury and two sites at Upnor have not been traced.
Embarkation hards were built by the Admiralty as part of Operation Overlord to load landing vessels in preparation for D-Day and the invasion of occupied Europe. A total of 68 individual hards were constructed between 1942 and 1944 across the southern coast of England in every county between Suffolk and Cornwall.
There were two types of embarkation hards: LCT hards for landing crafts for troops and LST hards for landing ships carrying tanks. A standard hard consisted of a rectangular concrete apron that sloped down into the water, which was equipped with steel framed mooring points (known as dolphins) to moor the vessels during loading. Hard sites included access roads to link the hards to public highways, approach roads to accommodate the concentrated heavy traffic and transit areas for marshalling troops, vehicles and equipment. Accommodation and ancillary buildings at hard sites would include offices for embarkation staff; a central control room; a workshop for maintenance crew; stores; a watch hut and a latrine. Sites were also fitted with fuel, lighting and utilities. (3)

This Second World War embarkation hard is first seen on aerial photographs taken in May1944 and was constructed after May 1942. It was built on the site of Upnor Pontoon Yard and was centred on TQ 7583 7014. The steel frame mooring points included three towers that were arranged in a line centrally to the apron an interconnected by a gantry. The middle of the three was positioned approximately at Mean Low Water (TQ 4586 7013). Buildings to the west of the apron are pre-war and probably built for the pontoon yard and nearby landing stage but due to their location may have had some military function associated with the hard. Although the apron remains the mooring points have been demolished; part of it had gone by 1947, the remainder by 1957. This site was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project.(4-6)

<1> SecondSite, 2004, Isle of Grain, B2001 Culvert, Excavation, Site Notes (Unpublished document). SKE13432.

<2> Historic England, 2012, National Mapping Programme survey: Hoo Peninsula (Digital archive). SKE32442.

<3> Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 5. Operation Overlord : embarkation works for the invasion of occupied Europe, 1942-44 (Unspecified Type). SWX23708.

<4> 1944, US/7GR/LOC348 2062 27-MAY-1944 (Photograph). SKE58720.

<5> RAF, 1947, RAF CPE/UK/2303 5186 10-SEP-1947 (Photograph). SKE58721.

<6> 1957, MAL/57271 41467 16-APR-1957 (Photograph). SKE58722.