Various military units used Herne Bay Pier during the Second World War, and it was partially demolished to prevent its use by the enemy. Although it had not yet been formally requisitioned, a searchlight battery occupied Herne Bay Pier early in May 1940 and set up an emplacement part of the way down the pier (designated D.G. 3.2; Military Grid Reference R 613869). This was manned by 324 Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Company of the Royal Engineers under 29 Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery who were housed in the pier Pavilion. According to the Urban District Council, who naturally wished to see the pier formally requisitioned in order to protect their interests, the Army were using the pier tram to carry rations to the troops at the emplacement. The pier was closed at the end of May, pending its proposed partial demolition, but the pier café seems to have stayed open for a time to serve the troops. By the end of June 1940 a start had been made ‘to dismantle a section of the pier’, and subsequently two gaps, each 50m wide were cut at points along its length. It is believed ‘explosives were set under the [pier] pavilion on metal plates welded to the corner piles.’ In late October the Air-Raid Precautions Committee noted a ‘barbed wire barricade on the footway in front of the pier entrance’ which they considered a danger to the public. By about the end of May 1941 there was a home-guard locality at the landward end of the pier (Military Grid Reference R 615864).
Owner : Unknown
Publicly accessible : Unknown
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : moderate
Date of visit :
Owner : Unknown
Publicly accessible : Unknown
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit :

War Department, Fixed Defences: Herne Bay 1940 to 1943 (Unpublished document). SKE15036.

War Department, Fixed Defences: Herne Bay 1940 to 1943 (Unpublished document). Ske15036.

Herne Bay Air Raid Precautions Committee, 01/01/39, Herne Bay Urban District Council Air Raid Precautions Committee Minutes (Unpublished document). SKE15040.

Herne Bay Air Raid Precautions Committee, 01/01/39, Herne Bay Urban District Council Air Raid Precautions Committee Minutes (Unpublished document). Ske15040.

29 Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery, 01/01/41, War Diary 29 Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery (Unpublished document). SKE15039.

29 Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery, 01/01/41, War Diary 29 Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery (Unpublished document). Ske15039.

43 Division General Staff, 01/01/41, War Diary 43 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). SKE15038.

43 Division General Staff, 01/01/41, War Diary 43 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). Ske15038.

44 Division General Staff, 01/01/41, War Diary 44 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). SKE15037.

44 Division General Staff, 01/01/41, War Diary 44 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). Ske15037.