Monument record TR 35 SE 384 - Deal emergency battery

Site of Deal emergency coastal 6" gun battery of WW2 date, now destroyed (1)

This site has been completely demolished and cleared away with no remains left. It would have consisted of two Gun Emplacements, Battery Observation Posts, Two Searchlight Emplacements, Magazines, Engine Rooms and a Domestic Camp Site. With in the boundrys of the Battery was the earlier Napolionic Battery which still remains today. No Fort Record Book or any other information has been found regarding this site. The battery was on the seaward side of Deal Castle, the battery observation post was on Deal castle. The castle being used by the Royal Artillery and a hutted camp in the field on the southern side of the castle.
Owner :
Publicly accessible :
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit : 01/01/75

The WWII coastal battery was mapped from military aerial photographs taken in August 1943 (2), however the site is first evident on photographs taken in February 1941 (3). The site comprised two gun emplacements housed in structures with maximum dimensions of 12m by 12m, and are positioned to the SE of Deal Castle. These are linked by a zigzagging wall. Two associated rectangular military buildings are positioned to the north of Deal Castle and measure 2.7m by 2.3m and 9m by 2.5m. A possible square pillbox is located at 637798E, 152060N, measuring 4m by 4m. Deal Castle would have been utilised as an observation point and for storage and possibly accommodation. A gangway is visible linking the castle's ramparts directly to the site of the northern gun emplacement. Several lengths of barbed wire along with beach scaffolding (extending 770m) enclose the coastal battery providing further defence from invasion. In addition, anti-tank cubes are visible running south from the gun emplacements along Marine Road for approximately 240m.

The battery is first observed in February 1941 (3) and has been mostly removed by February 1946 (4) apart from the two gun emplacements that are removed by April 1946 (5).

Deal emergency battery (DESTROYED). 6in breech loading guns. Site of Deal emergency coastal 6in gun battery, now destroyed. No.1 Gun coastal battery. Deal Castle (used as BOP and accommodation) is all that survives. Camouflaged emplacements were originally directly in front of the castle, but these were removed soon after the end of the war. [information from 1979 aerial photographs]. Deal Castle. (1) Deal coastal battery located at TR 368 521. This was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Eastern Command's coastal defences. The battery was commissioned in May 1940 and mounted two 6-inch ex-naval guns. It was armed until at least September 1944 and manned by 337 Battery of 563 Coast Regiment. NGR given is for general site. The gun emplacements were located at TR 3775 5215 and Barr and Stroud rangefinder at TR 3780 5220. (2-3) Deal coastal battery located at TR 377 521. Aerial photography from 1979 shows that Deal Castle, used as a Battery Observation Post and accommodation, remains, however camouflaged emplacements originally positioned directly in front of the castle were removed soon after the war. (4)

<1> CBA Defence of Britain Project, 1994, Defence of Britain Site Report (Bibliographic reference). SKE6447.

<2-4> Council for British Archaeology, 2002, Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE32029.