In 1917, the Admiralty requisitioned the land beside Yantlet Creek which was developed from 1920 by the War Office as a firing point, comprising buildings, structures, a new road laid over an existing track, an internal railway and wharf. The road and buildings were arranged on a north-west to south-east axis, with the dock and firing point set at right angles on a south-west to north-east alignment with Shoeburyness. It was known as both the Grain Island Firing Point and the Yantlet Battery. The principal function of the firing point was to measure the velocity of shells fired from the gun emplacement.