By the end of March 1941 233 anti tank Battery had their headquarters at ‘Rowan House Ethelbert Road’ On 9 April 1941 the 228 Anti-tank Battery (57th Anti-Tank Regiment) Royal Artillery moved to Canterbury, establishing their own headquarters at The Rowans. They brought six of their mobile six-pounder anti-tank guns, which were kept at these headquarters, to be taken, on command, to positions on Canterbury’s vulnerable eastern edge. These would remain an important part of Canterbury’s defences when it became a Nodal Point later that year. Following the Blitz of 1942, Canterbury was provided with a barrage of twenty-four balloons, in two flights of twelve, the responsibility of 944 Mobile Balloon Squadron. This was divided into two flights. ‘A’ Flight had its headquarters at the Rowans and in the neighbouring 16 Ethelbert Road’ one of the flight’s barrage balloons was sited near adjacent. In mid 1944, the Canterbury Balloon Barrage departed, to join in the defence of London against the new flying bomb threat.
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : No
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : unknown
Date of visit :

Siting of Barrage Balloons, Canterbury (Unpublished document). SKE15430.

Siting of Barrage Balloons, Canterbury (Unpublished document). Ske15430.

43 Division Royal Artillery headquarters, 01/01/41, War Diary 43 Division Royal Artillery 1941 (Unpublished document). SKE15428.

43 Division Royal Artillery headquarters, 01/01/41, War Diary 43 Division Royal Artillery 1941 (Unpublished document). Ske15428.

57 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, 01/01/41, War Diary 57 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (Unpublished document). SKE15429.

57 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, 01/01/41, War Diary 57 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (Unpublished document). Ske15429.