The site of a Second World War searchlight battery, this was known as searchlight battery no. HC05 1 (old number HC 06 1) located at Jacky Bakers at TR 363671. It was manned by 314 Searchlight Battery. It was operational by 14-OCT-1941. (1)

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. During the Second World War searchlights were manned by the Royal Artillery and were under the control of the Army's Anti-Aircraft Command. (2)

The remains of Second World War searchlight battery no. HC05 1 described above was identified on aerial photographs taken in December 1941 centred at TR 3639 6706, surrounded by a single line of barbed wire which enclosed an irregular area 280m x 165m containing searchlight housings, gun emplacements and structures. The pavilion of the sports ground site occupied by the battery may have been utilised as the main building on the site for the duration of the war. The battery was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the Historic England: Ramsgate HAZProject (3)

<1> Dobinson, C, 2000, CBA Twentieth Century Fortifications in England Supporting paper AA/1 Searchlight Sites in WWII A sample List (Bibliographic reference). SKE15230.

<2> Lowry (ed), 1995, 20th century defences in Britain : an introductory guide, No 12 (Bibliographic reference). SKE56150.

<3> Unknown, 1941, HLA/380/10RU 655 15-DEC-1941 (Photograph). SKE58455.