# Ness Gun Battery - Orkney, July 2011



## Spirit Butterfly (Jul 24, 2011)

Ness Battery is the most complete WWII gun battery in Scotland – perhaps Britain – thanks to the survival of four of its army timber accommodation huts, which housed the soldiers from the Royal Artillery 534th Coast Regiment. One of the huts – the mess hall & kitchen – has a fantastic mural on three walls. The quality of the mural is such that it is highlighted in the Council for British Archaeology’s principal publication on servicemen’s artwork, entitled War Art. Leslie Burgher commented “excitingly it now appears that the remains of the mural are more extensive than anyone previously thought before this project started”.

GMA’s restoration works began in earnest in late July with the architects exploring the method of construction of the timber accommodation huts. In undertaking this work Alan Marshall of GMA made an exciting discovery in the ceiling space of the mess hall & kitchen – further remains of the wartime mural. Part of the mural extends along the gable wall, hidden by the modern suspended ceiling that runs the length of the room. However, even more impressive is a second mural painted on plasterboard that fills one of the roof trusses. This mural is dimly remembered by some of those who worked at Ness Battery during the war and thereafter, but it had been thought to have been lost. This plasterboard, also hidden by the ceiling, is painted with an emblem inscribed with “Ness Battery, Ubique”. [Ubique is the Latin word for "everywhere" and is the motto of the Royal Artillery]. The emblem is set against the backdrop of the hills of Hoy and is framed underneath by the text “COME THE THREE CORNERS OF THE WORLD IN SHIPS AND WE WILL SINK THEM”.


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## colin haggart (Jul 31, 2011)

*Ness Battery*

I see it still has a guard dog.


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## Staticette (Jul 31, 2011)

That's an interesting find. Good pictures!


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## night crawler (Aug 1, 2011)

Nice place and unvandalised, mind you the dog looks like it would lick you to death.  Were are the photo's of the artwork you talked about?


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## Ness Battery (Oct 9, 2011)

Very nice summary of the Ness Battery!

Although I'd like to point out that the pictures are of the Links Battery, freely accessible to the public, and which is on the shoreline by the track that runs to the Ness Battery.

A bit of googling will find you plenty of photos of the inside of Ness Battery - have a look at the links below...

... not yet open to the public but I will be guiding people around there from early next year after the renovations are complete.

The mural is set to be restored in March by Historic Scotland conservators.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12579380

http://www.spirit-of-orkney.com/contents1a/2011/03/in-search-of-a-r-woods/?doing_wp_cron


Cheers!


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## Foxylady (Oct 9, 2011)

Ness Battery said:


> ... not yet open to the public but I will be guiding people around there from early next year after the renovations are complete.
> 
> The mural is set to be restored in March by Historic Scotland conservators.


Wow, what an amazing thing to remain for that length of time. Hope the artist is found.
Cheers for the info Ness, and all the best with the renovations.


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## krela (Oct 9, 2011)

Wow, that mural is remarkable. Fingers crossed for the restoration/preservation.


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## Ness Battery (Oct 9, 2011)

Thanks!

The pics Butterfly posted show the Links Battery twin-six pounder emplacement which replaced a pair of 12-pdr QF guns, and the temporary emplacements of the latter are still visible I think. 

The dog is guarding the searchlight emplacement which housed a 90cm MkV 16 deg. movable llight. Just along the shore there are the remains of the bathing station, blown up after the war, as were a further four searchlight emplacements, the traces of some can still be seen, although this shore is fast eroding.

The TA and regular army both used Ness Battery as a base for training, and the other emplacements and bathing station were blown up to practice using explosives. The pre-war concrete bathing station was blown up in error - allegedly - when it was mistakenly thought to be another wartime structure.

Fortunately, the continued use of Ness Battery as an active battery, then for training by the TA etc, has meant that four of the wooden huts remain. The roofs and rotten timber are being replaced as we speak. The gun emplacements are having new steel girders installed to replace the badly rusted extant ones.

If anyone is in Orkney next year, after the renovations, you'll be able to see it all!


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## Seahorse (Nov 25, 2011)

Ness Battery said:


> Very nice summary of the Ness Battery!
> 
> Although I'd like to point out that the pictures are of the Links Battery, freely accessible to the public, and which is on the shoreline by the track that runs to the Ness Battery.
> 
> ...



Here's hoping for an extended port call in Kirkwall from March onwards then. Pity it's too early yet, as it looks like we will be alongside Kirkwall for the next couple of days at least sheltering from the weather.


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## Cruachan (Nov 25, 2011)

Ness Battery said:


> Thanks!
> 
> The pics Butterfly posted show the Links Battery twin-six pounder emplacement which replaced a pair of 12-pdr QF guns, and the temporary emplacements of the latter are still visible I think.
> 
> ...



Fascinating. I did an annual camp with the school Cadet Force at Ness Battery back in the late 60s. I can't remember the precise year. Nice to see the pictures.

J


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## Spirit Butterfly (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks for that info Ness and the links are interesting to read up on too. Good luck next year  we hope to visit orkneys again. The dog you see in the picture, our beloved Jack sadley had to be put to sleep about 4 weeks after that picture was taken, that was his last holiday and we didn't know it then, least he had fun.


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