Monument record TQ 77 SE 1533 - Second World War and later twentieth century military camp, Hoo Common

A Second World War and later twentieth century military camp on Hoo Common, centred at TQ 7579 7163, has been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. Temporary buildings and traces of tents were recorded in an area which was used for military training during the First World War. The camp comprised about twelve large buildings linked by paths. To the north of the buildings many tent locations are visible as cropmarks or patches of flattened grass on aerial photographs taken in 1942, and a few tents are visible in photographs taken in 1948. In 1944 and 1947, small gun emplacements or weapons pits were visible in this northern area, while smaller buildings (TQ 7574 7159) and at least one air raid shelter (TQ 7573 7156) are visible to the west of the main cluster of buildings. (1-4)

The camp continued in use after the Second World War and may have been associated with a post war wireless transmitter station which was established in the early 1950s (Monument 1546070). The site is now overgrown with woodland, although a few traces of concrete footings remain. (5-6)

<1> RAF, 1942, NMR RAF/HLA/617 6101 20-JUN-1942 (Photograph). SKE56110.

<2> USAAF?, 1944, NMR US/7GR/LOC348 3059 27-MAY-1944 (Photograph). SKE56103.

<3> RAF, 1947, NMR RAF CPE/UK/2303 5215 10-SEP-1947 (Photograph). SKE59205.

<4> RAF, 1948, NMR RAF 30018 PFFO 540-12 09-MAY-1948 (Photograph). SKE58404.

<5> EARTH.GOOGLE.COM, 2011, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 02-MAY-2007 ACCESSED 30-SEP-2011 (Photograph). SKE59204.

<6> 2011, NMR 26886 030-032 08-03-2011 (Photograph). SKE59206.