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Monument record TR 35 SW 500 - Searchlight Battery Hc05 5x

Summary

The site of Second World War searchlight battery no. HC05 5X (old number HC07 3B) at Little Mongeham . It was manned by 314 Searchlight Battery under the command of 28 Searchlight Regiment. The battery was operational by 14th October 1941. Large-scale re-organisation of the searchlight layout in Kent required the withdrawal of 313 SL Bty from the area and the taking over of its sites by 322 SL Bty together with the introduction of three batteries (314, 468 and 508). Sites occupied by these three batteries were renumbered.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.

Location

Grid reference	TR 3340 5130 (point)
Map sheet	TR35SW
County	KENT
District	TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT
Civil Parish	FRITTENDEN, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT

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Type and Period (1)

SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY (Second World War, Modern - 1941 AD to 1945 AD)

Full Description

The site of a Second World War searchlight battery, this was known as searchlight battery no. HC05 5X (old number HC 07 3B) located at Little Mongeham at TR 334513. It was manned by 314 Searchlight Battery. It was operational by 14-OCT-1941. (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)

<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.

Sources/Archives (2)

<1> SKE15230 Bibliographic reference: Dobinson, C. 2000. CBA Twentieth Century Fortifications in England Supporting paper AA/1 Searchlight Sites in WWII A sample List.
<2> SKE56150 Bibliographic reference: Lowry (ed). 1995. 20th century defences in Britain : an introductory guide.