Monument record TQ 87 NE 120 - Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery Thames And Medway Ts22

Site of Second World War heavy anti aircraft battery at White Hall Farm. It was armed with four 3.7-inch guns in with GL Mark II radar in 1942, when it was manned by 413 Regiment of the 85th Royal Artillery Regiment. In 1943 it was manned by 576 Royal Artillery Regiment in 1943. It was retained as an Off-Site Nucleus Force Battery in 1946. (1)

Aerial photographs taken in 1946 show the site with the remains of three phases of gun emplacement possibly reflecting the three periods of manning during the Second World War. At the north-western end of the site (at TQ 8824 7739) are the traces of the octagonal chicken wire false datum mesh extending across an area of between 110m and 120m in diameter. Within this the gun laying radar platform could be seen. Immediately to the east of this (at TQ 8836 7736) was the command post with four gun emplacements within a penannular earthen or sand-bagged defence to its north, north-east, east and south-east. Beyond these to the NNE and ENE were two further substantial square emplacements. ESE of these six positions the 1946 photographs showed the disused traces of an earlier arc of four gun emplacements on a loop of support road. To the south-east of the site at TQ 8843 7726 was a substantial accommodation camp with around 30 buildings. The site was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project.
This site appears to share its location with a Second World War heavy anti aircraft (Diver) Battery TS22 in the Diver Box (NMR Monument:1478210) listed as being located to the north of Rosecourt Barn. It is possible that the features described above are a combined site which evolved through the war. (2)

Description from record TQ 87 NE 120:
Concrete bases for barrack huts for now vanished heavy Anti Aircraft battery. White Hall Farm (3), site photographs (4-6).

Mentioned in Isle of Grain Historic Area Assessment conducted by English Heritage in 2014: "a battery at White Hall Farm (in operation in 1918 and in 1942-3)" (7).

<1> Dobinson, C, 1996, Twentieth century fortifications in England, volume 1. Anti-aircraft artillery : England's air defence gunsites, 1914-46 (Monograph). SWX23706.

<2> RAF, 1946, RAF 106G/UK/1444 4017 01-MAY-1946 (Photograph). SKE58737.

<3> Victor Smith and Ron Crowdy, Thames Gateway Assesment: Gazetteer of Defence Sites (Index). SKE6445.

<4> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9482.

<5> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9554.

<6> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9555.

<7> English Heritage, 2014, Isle of Grain, Hoo Peninsula, Kent: Historic area assessment (Monograph). SKE29397.