The site of a Second World War searchlight battery, this was known as searchlight battery no. HC06 D (old number HC 06 R) located at Bush Farm at TR 343651. It was manned by 468 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 structural remains of the WW2 searchlight battery described above was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the Historic England: Ramsgate HAZ survey. The installation was centred at TR 3433 6510 and enclosed within a rectangular defense of barbed wire and possibly sandbags measuring c.80m x 38m. Outside the NW corner was a possibl embanked double gun emplacement. (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/IPRU 967 15-DEC-1941 (Photograph). SKE58456.