Swanage ECD Battery, Dorset.
Dorset · England · United Kingdom
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
386 Coast Battery RA of the 554 Coast Regt. RA.
1 x Type 25 'Armco' Pillbox.
3 x Searchlight (Defence Emergency Lighting) (2 x removed).
3 x gun casemates (1 x demolished).
2 x Generator sheds.
1 x portable generator (removed).
1 x rifle embrasure in wall.
1 x Lookout.
1 x Machine gun post.
4 x Minefields.
1 x
5 inch gun practice gun.
2 x 4 inch. Naval Mk VII guns on Mk II mountings November 1940.
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Swanage Coastal Battery, an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Southern Command's coastal defences. The battery was commissioned in July 1940 and mounted two 4-inch naval guns. It was armed until at least May 1945 and manned by 386 Coast Battery of the Royal Artillery.
Google Maps
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Swanage Bay
The view from the searchlight around Swanage Bay.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Swanage & the Bay
A - Searchlight.
B - Peveril Point Battery and another searchlight.
Google Maps
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
I have always thought this to be a searchlight house and have subsequently found out via Facebook that it actually is a gun casemate. On re looking at it, I must admit I can see the ammunition rooms built into the rear under an earth mound and its now converted into a viewing and sunshade for holiday makers. What gun was here I have not found that out yet.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Gun casemate.
The view from behind with the new generation of bunker hunters checking out the view.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Gun casemate.
The side door is the ammunition rooms.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Gun casemate.
This is where the gun would have sat, looking out to sea and covering the whole of Swanage beach.
Behind on the railway were situated very early in the war, sets of railway guns. Usually kept in a siding (maybe Furzbrooke sidings) and could cover quite an area. Most of the seaside towns railway lines had a set of railway guns and I know one set were in a quarry at Maiden Newton.
16 February 2016 --------------------------------- Culvin Milmer ---------------------------- Tank Museum
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
A site of the first casemate.
B main site of the battery.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Gun casemate.
Now a very nice viewing platform.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Gun casemate today.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Plan
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Type 25 Armco Pillbox.
Internal measurement 6ft.
Official designation: FW3/25
Shape: circular
Common name: Armco.
Proof against rifle fire
for infantry using rifles and light automatics.
Usually found with three rifle loops and a low entrance.
Walls 12'' thick and often shuttered in corrugated iron giving it a distinctive appearance. From Pillbox Study Group.
07 January 2019
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Type 25 Armco Pillbox.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The view from one of the rifle slits.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Protected generator house.
A strengthened building to hold a medium generator.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Protected generator house.
There would possibly have had a double steel door on the front.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
4'' gun casemate.
The two sloping ramps each side are covered stairways down to an underground magazine.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
4'' gun casemate.
The covered stairway to the magazine.
17 August 2012
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
4'' gun casemate.
This is how it was in 2012, the gun room has now been converted into staff area for the Volunteer Coastguard.
19 October 2012
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
4'' gun casemate.
he covered stairway to the magazine.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
The gun would have sat on a bolted hold-fast in the middle of the floor.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
Steps to the observation platform.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
Observation platform.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
Compass painted on the roof. I have found this in German batterie sites as well and they were not only used in action but also a training aid to teach the guns crew where the enemy are.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
The view out to sea.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
The young intrepid bunker hunter checking it out.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The second 4'' gun casemate with the battery lookout above.
07 January 2019
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The view across the bay.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Gun room for a 4 inch guns were 4 inch. Naval Mk VII on Mk II mounting November 1940.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The gunners view.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
A Mk II mounting hold fast for the gun. There would have been a ring of threads sticking up to hold the gun down.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Garrison BL 5in gun Vavasseur mounting.
The 5 inch gun was a bit of a failure and that is why they were only used in practice batteries. There were a few of these batteries around, one was in Gibraltar and another pivot mount found at Dunree Battery, Ireland (built when it was part of Great Britain). The gun is on a Vavasseur mounting, most of them were scrapped by 1913. I would like to thank John Guy for all his help in naming the mounting and the gun.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Garrison BL 5in gun Vavasseur mounting showing its position.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Waterside House
Just noticed a rifle embrasure set into the wall. In the summer it would be overgrown and unable to see it. There was a searchlight set in its own bunker sat in the garden.
07 January 2019
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Waterside House
This was the billets of the battery members.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Waterside House
Photos of a model has come to light of what the emplacements looked like.
Timothy Crabb
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Waterside House
This shows a searchlight was placed into the gardens of the two cottages.
Timothy Crabb
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Third Searchlight demolished in 2012.
This was an open concrete position.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
Third Searchlight demolished in 2012.
This was an open concrete position.
19 October 2012
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
The battery position.
.The two four inch gun emplacements.
16 February 2016
Swanage Emergency Coastal Battery, Swanage, Dorset
17 August 2012