# Stallingborough anti-aircraft Battery, Lincs, February 2019



## HughieD (Feb 16, 2019)

*1. The History*
The former Heavy Anti-Aircraft gun site is off Keelby Road, Little London near Stallingborough. It is one of only six surviving 5.25-inch HAA gun sites known nationally. The Battery was originally built as part of the Humber estuary's coastal defence system. In February 1916 the coastal battery was equipped with two 6-inch breech-loading Mk VII guns. The guns were removed in 1919 and the site abandoned in 1926. The battery was then re-used during World War II. In June 1940 it was equipped with four 3.-inch calibre guns set in concrete emplacements. In April 1944, construction was underway for four new, much larger and more complex emplacements for 5.25-inch calibre guns which could fire up to altitudes of 43,000 feet. These were operational by 2nd November 1944. After the end of the war, Stallingborough was selected for retention as a Battery Headquarters. It was finally decommissioned around the Spring of 1955 when the use of artillery for anti-aircraft defence was finally abandoned. 

Lay-out of a 5.25-inch HAA gun site:


HAA Gun emplacement by HughieDW, on Flickr

Part of the site was reused from 1961 when a Royal Observer Corps (ROC) nuclear fallout monitoring post was built and opened at the site. Sometime between 1976 and 1984, the concrete emplacements and their associated buildings were returned to agricultural use.

The site retains its complete functional layout including all four-gun emplacements and their engine houses, the command post and the guardhouse/gun store and generator house. It is a reminder of the considerable investment made to counter bombing raids by the Luftwaffe.

*2. The Explore*
This place came up during research into WWII locations around the Humber. It’ looked great so put it on my list. After the hour or so drive over I parked off the road and walked along a footpath. The coppice the battery is in is a stone’s throw from the footpath. So easy access and had the place to myself for a very relaxed hour’s exploring. One of the nice things about this site was that it was untouched by the idiots so no crap graf etc. Must be a hard place to visit in the summer when the foliage is at its peak.

*3. The Pictures*

The first emplacement I looked round. Nature is now reclaiming the site:


Stallingborough 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0796 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Stallingborough 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0800 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0802 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The fixing screws for the gun:


img0804 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0806bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

Presumably this was the shell hatch(?):


img0805 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Entrance to the engine room:


img0810 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0818 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0816 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The engine room itself:


img0813 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Observation tower:


img0820 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And on to the next emplacement:


img0821 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0829 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0826 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0822 by HughieDW, on Flickr

More of the same:


img0823 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0827 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And another:


img0845 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0843 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Finally, on to the control bunker:


img0835 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0828 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0832 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Quick peek inside:


Stallingborough 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Stallingborough 06 by HughieDW, on Flickr

These look like reinforced shelters:


img0833 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0834 by HughieDW, on Flickr


And finally, an old tank:


img0830 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## smiler (Feb 16, 2019)

Proper Job, Thanks


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## Newage (Feb 16, 2019)

Oh we like that a lot - and it also has underground wet bits - win win.

Cheers Newage


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## Sabtr (Feb 17, 2019)

Blimey that's a good one!
Kinda rubbish up here because a lot has been removed or buried beyond reach.
I'm wondering what else could lie there if the silt was cleared out. 
Awesome location and not impossible for me to get to - added to my never ending list!


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## HughieD (Feb 17, 2019)

Sausage said:


> Blimey that's a good one!
> Kinda rubbish up here because a lot has been removed or buried beyond reach.
> I'm wondering what else could lie there if the silt was cleared out.
> Awesome location and not impossible for me to get to - added to my never ending list!



Do it mate. Loads of other stuff round here too. Highest proportion of surviving Anti-aircraft batteries along the Number than anywhere in the UK with the exception of Plymouth...


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## Sam Haltin (Feb 17, 2019)

Interesting post. A bit wet though maybe that's why it hasn't been vandalised. They don't want to get their feet wet.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Feb 17, 2019)

These places survive because they were originally WW1 Coastal Defence Batteries - hence very solid and much thicker construction than WW2 AA Battery sites. Mind you; they really were something in the Autumn of '59 - the start of my motorcycling days - all the iron work and corrugated iron was still in place and nature had not taken over. My father was in command of the team that surveyed all the fortifications on the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire sides of the Humber for possible reuse by the ROC.


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## Mikeymutt (Feb 18, 2019)

A nice set there mate.visited here a few yrs back myself.plenty too see


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## HughieD (Feb 20, 2019)

Mikeymutt said:


> A nice set there mate.visited here a few yrs back myself.plenty too see



Cheers Mikey. Really fab site and well worth the hour's drive over.


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## The Wombat (Feb 28, 2019)

very nice Hughie
Looks worth a mooch.
I might be heading that way soon, so might pop in


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## HughieD (Feb 28, 2019)

The Wombat said:


> very nice Hughie
> Looks worth a mooch.
> I might be heading that way soon, so might pop in



Go for it mate. Well worth an hour of your time. Best WWII AA Battery I've been to to date.


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