I recently visited the Farthingloe gun site on Dover cliffs. Sadly overgrown and vandalised, but still of interest. I've attached a view of one of the gun pits (image 1). Also attached is an image of what looks like a chalk board (image 2). There are four of these, two in each of two buildings/shelters immediately adjacent to two of the guns (one building for each Troop?). Can anyone explain the use of these boards? Also attached is an image of a base immediately in front of the central building/shelter to the standard four gun arc (image 3). Is this the base for the predictor? Would this building be BHQ, or would this be the building in the last image (image 4), this being set further back (mess accommodation was set further away)?
The boards are for ammo/shell inventories. The 'central building' is the Command Post and the hardstanding is for either the predictor or the range-finder.
Thank you! Very much appreciate the response. Sorry to be pedantic, but would the inventory be for the storage 'lockers' (what is the correct technical term?) in each of the gun pits? Do you know if the Command Post the same as BHQ?
Yes, they are ammo/shell lockers. The inventory is just a reminder as to what type of fuze the shells there have been fitted with etc so they can be stored ready for action. The lockers sometimes just had a sacking curtain over them. A BHQ can be in a Command Post, though some BHQ were in nearby requisitioned buildings, such as an old mansion.
Thank you again. It looks as though the lockers had steel doors, now missing. My reason for asking about the Command Post/BHQ is to try and establish which building this refers to, in an extract written by BSM John Kemp, 76th HAA Regt RA, 16 September 1942 at Farthingloe (hope this is of interest): "Went outside. What a sight! I should think Jerry had about 40 lamps in the air, and suddenly up from the ground went the most tremendous shower I’ve ever seen. At first it looked like golden rain. Red and yellow tracers weaving in and out of each other and the lamps. I saw a huge red flaming mass after the lights suddenly doused. It appeared perfectly stationary, but I was not in time to get the glasses on it. I’m afraid it was one of our lads “had it”. How anything within range managed to keep up there for as long as he did before he was hit I cannot imagine. Perhaps the best simile I can give for the tracer was a steam engine shooting clouds of sparks into the air, with those huge icy fingers of the S/Ls pointing accusingly into the night. More planes going over. Good luck boys. All the way along the coast as far as you can see the sky keeps reflecting orange splashes as the clouds catch the flash of the A.A. guns. Miles and miles away along the coast this is happening." [16/17 September 1942, 369 aircraft of Bomber Command including aircraft from the training group, attacked Essen and other targets in Germany.] It appears from other writings that BHQ (not RHQ) was located on site. The site is remote, and there are no nearby buildings other than purpose built WW2 buildings.
