Battle of Britain Defences at Dover (Pics)

The Western Heights had been fortified against the last threatened invasion. During the Napoleonic Wars British soldiers and French prisoners had built a complicated fortress - a conglomeration of redoubts, redans, caponiers and bastions, detached and undetached, all surrounded by the cliffs and a deep wide moat crossed by three draw-bridges, each with a real portcullis. Subsequent generations of soldiers built the Grand Shaft and the North Front Barracks, nailed down the draw-bridges and allowed portcullises to rust in their grooves. The Training Battalion took over the barracks, manned the caponiers, cleared and mined the moat, got the draw-bridges to work and, instead of portcullises, hung up submarine nets weighted with blocks of concrete. While part of the Battalion manned the old stone loopholes and anti-aircraft posts, the rest dug light machine-gun emplacements and mortar pits and festooned the approaches with wire.


Hi all - first post!

I am a volunteer with the Western Heights Preservation Society at Dover and am trying to research the wartime use of the Drop Redoubt.

I am really intrigued by the statement that the Irish Guards Training Battalion refortified much of the Western Heights and would love to know more. It seems there is little recorded history about the use of the fort in WW2 and I think I've exhausted the net, so if anyone has any pointers then I would really appreciate hearing.

There are some undated and enigmatic structures on top of the Napoleonic caponiers of the Drop Redoubt that could be machine gun nests and two possible WW2 constructions so it'd be great to have some documentary or photographic evidence that the Irish Guards

So far we've uncovered a reference to the Royal Observer Corps, a film of some commandos of the Canadian Carelton and York regiment (and possibly No.4 Commando) being briefed by Lord Lovat prior to the Op. Abercrombie in April 42 and a report dealing with such. There is a possibility of French elements of No.10 Commando based up there prior to the Channel raids too.

The Irish Guards works are particularly intriguing - if it could be pinned down as to what exactly they did up at the Western Heights in late 1940, it would answer a number of questions that we have about the history and structure of the place.

You can find our website here:

Dover Westen Heights

Thanks in advance!

Phil

 

Thank you ever so much for your reply Diane - I'll definitely contact the archivist as you suggest.

got the draw-bridges to work and, instead of portcullises, hung up submarine nets weighted with blocks of concrete.

Found them! Above North Entrance at the Military Road cutting last Monday I found the remains of the anti-submarine cables installed by the Irish Guards. I didn't want to scramble too close to them as they were down a steep muddy bank and it was only a short space between them and a twenty foot drop into the moat of the North Lines. I might have risked it if I wasn't on my own...

 

Great find Phil-Well Done !

 

That's an excellent extract Diane. Thanks ever so much for posting it.

It's very interesting to read that the Irish Guards were responsible for digging practice trenches as there are a whole series of trenches that are on the hill overlooking the ruins of the Grand Shaft Barracks and adjacent to the Drop Redoubt. I've wondered if they were WW1, interwar or WW2 before, but now it seems that many, if not all, were WW2 dated and some were probably dug by the IG. There are so many trenches in such a small area a contemporary aerial picture would probably resemble a wormery!

I attach a photo of one such trench I took a couple of weeks ago - it is hard to see as the area is so overgrown, but you might be able to make out a depression. In the satellite photo below you can see just how close the structures are.

The Grand Shaft itself is an incredible Napoleonic triple staircase designed to get troops as quick as possible from the barracks to the western side of the harbour.

Many thanks again!

 

Phil,

Super photographs and the satellite shot brings it to life.

Regards
Tom

 

Diane,

Sorry it's not the best quality image but this postcard, I guess from about 1910-ish, shows the barracks on the hill overlooking the western side of the harbour. The trenches would have been behind this and up on the hill; the Drop Redoubt fort is behind and to the right. The Grand Shaft is directly in front of the barracks so you can see how troops could have got to the seafront in a couple of minutes using it. Interesting to read from your extract that the Irish Guards seem to have planted explosives in it.

 

A couple more pictures of Grand Shaft Barracks

 

I see some Then and Nows coming on. Great pictures chaps.

 

Phil and John
Thank you very much for these
What a shame they are gone .. they'd have been great for re-development had they survived ... imagine the view !

Diane,

Developers would have been jumping to renovate the barracks into a Hotel if they had survived.

Like you said, rooms with a view, to be sure.

Regards
Tom

 

Funny you should say that...


Dover Express & East Kent News
February 7 1969

PLANS TO BUILD ON THE HEIGHTS
Members of Dover Town Council are to hear shortly about plans to develop one of the best sites in the town - on land at the Western Heights. The area is above the Grand Shaft where the barracks once stood. The natural slope oft the land makes it a giant arena and is ideally suitable for flats and, possibly an hotel. The town planning committee has already received two outline proposals for the area and a third is awaited.

 

John V
At the NA last week researching the 16th R/Fus before conversion to RA,found they were at Dover in 42 and known as the Citadel Battilion.
There was quite a bit about the Dover defences (maps etc) and the Infantry guards for them, in the war diaries.
This is not realy my field so did'nt take much notice or pics, but i do have 2 pages on the Lydden Spout Bty, action to be taken if attacked if you would like them.
Rob

 

John V
At the NA last week researching the 16th R/Fus before conversion to RA,found they were at Dover in 42 and known as the Citadel Battilion.
There was quite a bit about the Dover defences (maps etc) and the Infantry guards for them, in the war diaries.
This is not realy my field so did'nt take much notice or pics, but i do have 2 pages on the Lydden Spout Bty, action to be taken if attacked if you would like them.
Rob

That's very kind of you - I'd love to see any information regarding Dover in WWII, I assume you can see my email address in my profile?