Monument record TQ 73 NW 338 - Second World War searchlight battery No. 5102 3 at Gate House

The site of a Second World War searchlight battery, this was known as searchlight battery No. 5102 3 at Gate House, located at TQ 709 360. It was manned by 34 (The Queen's Own Royal West Kent) Anti-Aircraft Battalion Royal Engineers. The battery was operational by 12-MAY-1940 and positioned to protect Kent from air attack. (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)

A more accurate NGR for this searchlight battery may be TQ 70580 35923 as this location is closer to Gate House. (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 (Bibliographic reference). SKE56150.

<3> Landmark, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 1st edition 1862-1875): Landmark Epoch 1 (Map). SKE30964.