Devon Coastal Defence

Foxylady · Mar 4, 2007

At last, some more information re. the clifftop emplacement. Managed to obtain a copy of "The Book of Seaton" by Ted Gosling, and found the following:

That really made my day, I can tell ya!

Interestingly, apparently the bombs that were dropped on Seaton came from enemy aircraft on their return journey, and dropped them to lighten their load
before heading back across the Channel.

Cheers
Foxy

Bishop · Mar 4, 2007

Foxylady wrote.

That really made my day, I can tell ya!

Excellent.

I had a look for Seaton on the UK Fortifications Club's database.

SEATON DEVON BEACH BATTERY SY 2564 8974 FSG.DB:

SEATON DEVON COAST BATTERY SY 240- 899- FSG.DB:

WW2 BATTERY ORIGINAL ARMAMENT 2 x 4” B; MK MANNED BY 402 COAST BATTERY RA.
GUNS THEN REPLACED BY 2 x 6” BL MK 12, LATER 2 x 90mm MK I QF GUNS WERE ADDED.
UKFC & DOBINSON DATA:

SEATON DEVON P/B SY 2434 8989 FSG.DB:

SEATON DEVON ROC POST SY 234- 911- FSG.DB:

SEATON DEVON ROC POST SY 240- 899- FSG.DB:

From.
http://www.ukfortsclub.org.uk/wood_index/index_top.html

B of B

Foxylady · Mar 4, 2007

Cheers for that, Bishop.
I was a little confused at first with the info, but I think they've put Coast Battery down instead of the CAS. In that case, it looks as though I might have found all of them (I was hoping for another CAS!)
I didn't know anything about the ROC posts, though. I'll have to look into that.
Cheers
Foxy

krela · Mar 5, 2007

Foxylady;11000; said:
I didn't know anything about the ROC posts, though. I'll have to look into that.
Cheers
Foxy

Don't be fooled by the mention of ROC posts, the ROC posts people post people post on here are post WW2 Cold War era ROC posts built in the 60s and were designed to be observation points when the bombs go off.

There were many many more ROC posts around during WW2 which rather than being underground bunkers were simply sheds for ROC staff to look out for enemy bombers crossing the channel from. Don't forget this was the only form of early warning during the blitz as radar hadn't been developed yet.

Most traces of these WW2 era ROC posts are completely gone.

krela · Mar 5, 2007

Just looked up the Seaton cold war era ROC post and it was demolished sometime in the 90s.

Foxylady · Mar 5, 2007

Cheers for that, Krela.
I must admit, it was the post-war ROC posts that I was thinking of. Shame about that.
Cheers
Foxy

Foxylady · Mar 17, 2007

As part of the coastal defence at Seaton in Devon, and at the end of the Taunton Stop line, sits this weather-beaten, uncared-for, but nevertheless rather lovely Beach Battery which would have been used for the 6-pounder anti-tank gun. All entrances and embrasures have been bricked up.

Although it's said to be part of the Seaton defence, it's actually on the Axmouth village side of the river, sitting right at the Harbour mouth.

It's an incredibly beautiful & peaceful spot and I spent quite some time there taking photos when I went on 12th March. Unfortunately the photos really don't do it justice, but here they are anyway, with some more in the Gallery.

Partial remains of the defence wall to the side entrance.

Front embrasure, bricked up.

I managed to scramble through the undergrowth to the rear.

This was taken from the front embrasure, which has an amazing view of the entrance to the Harbour and right across to Seaton beach and the cliffs beyond.

Cheers
Foxy

Foxylady · Mar 18, 2007

On March 13th I took a trip over to Beer, a village just two miles west up the coast from Seaton, to look at the Beach Battery there. Set into the cliff at the bottom of the main beach road up into the village, it's been incorporated into a wall, the top of which is now a viewing platform with benches for the tourists.
Looking towards the beach.

Side embrasure.

Four embrasures at the front.

Looking towards the path up to the village.

Again, the photos aren't very good, as my camera is beginning to give up the ghost, but it's a record and I'll try and get better ones as and when.

Cheers
Foxy

Bishop · Mar 18, 2007

Hey Foxy good write up and pics, I'm sorry to hear that your camera is on its last legs. I've just had a look at some of your pics in the pillbox gallery and I really like this pic below of the Beach Defence Battery.

B

Foxylady · Mar 18, 2007

Hi Bishop,
Thanks for your kind comments. Yes, I liked that one too but didn't include it in the report because it looks so dark. Funnily enough I thought the Battery was at the other end of the beach so I started from that end. Imagine my delight when I saw it as I walked along the beach! :mrgreen:

Oh, and about my camera...I'd been mulling it over last night and when I woke up this morning I realised it's probably not the camera at fault but the film. I've got quite a bit of film stock & I think I may have got it mixed up & used out-of-date stuff. Either that, or it was just duff. I'll do the Seaton one again with new film & see if that was the problem.
Cheers
Foxy

nizzer · Mar 24, 2007

Bishop, re 6 pounder guns. They were also extensively used by the british army in ww2 as an anti tank weapon, either mounted as 'portees' on the back of trucks, or drawn by a universal carrier, and also provided the main weaponry for various tanks, including the Crusader Mk3, Valentine Mk8 and the Churchill heavy tanks Mk3 and Mk4. No idea who manufactured them, but a variety of arsenals would've been employed, and a variety of shell types ie, high explosive, smoke and armour piercing were employed.

krela · Mar 24, 2007

nizzer;11420; said:
Bishop, re 6 pounder guns. They were also extensively used by the british army in ww2 as an anti tank weapon, either mounted as 'portees' on the back of trucks, or drawn by a universal carrier, and also provided the main weaponry for various tanks, including the Crusader Mk3, Valentine Mk8 and the Churchill heavy tanks Mk3 and Mk4. No idea who manufactured them, but a variety of arsenals would've been employed, and a variety of shell types ie, high explosive, smoke and armour piercing were employed.

That's a different type of 6pdr gun.

The 6pdr guns used for home defence were hotkiss 6pdr ex naval cannons built in the 1890s which had been mothballed from WW1 and brought back into service in 1939.

The 6pdr anti-tank gun used in the field in WW2 is the Ordnance 57mm 6PDR anti-tank gun which while it was concieved in the mid 1930s only really started production in 1941 when it was decided that the 2pdr of the same design just wasn't cutting it.

Bishop · Mar 24, 2007

Sorry Nizzer the 6pdr gun you're thinking of is one like this below which didn't get into the hands of the British Army until May 1942, way after pillboxes were constructed in 39/40. By 1942 the threat of invasion was pretty much gone, Hitler fighting a war on two fronts and all that.

I think this one below is a licensed American copy but it's pretty much the same as the one the British Army used from 42 onwards.

Info and pic taken from.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_6_pdr

The 6 pounder gun used by in 39/40 was a real antique from WW1 of French design (Hotchkiss). Very different to the QF 6 pdr pictured above.

B

nizzer · Mar 24, 2007

Bishop, Krela. Thanks for the correction...it makes sense, though i was wondering a, what sort of six pounder was used in pillboxes designed for anti tank use, and b, whether there is any evidence of mobile guns being used along side fixed ones like the hotchkiss? For example, when you see footage of atlantikwall installations, there are often guns under cover which was built to protect them from bombardment, which could then be wheeled out to engage tanks, landing craft etc, as well as those in fixed positions. Admittedly these were possibly attached to infantry regiments assigned to coastal defence rather than part of the original planned complement of the installation. Do you know which British units were assigned to man coastal defences? Were they specifically dedicated coastal defence units, or simply standard infantry units allocated to this task? Cheers!

Bishop · Mar 24, 2007

As I previously mentioned in this thread. The Seaton battery was manned by.

WW2 BATTERY ORIGINAL ARMAMENT 2 x 4” B; MK MANNED BY 402 COAST BATTERY RA.

RA standing for Royal Artillery. I have read of Coastal Gun Batteries also being manned by members of the Home Guard I think one of the gun crews at Brean Down Fort was Home Guard? Obviously a Home Guard crew would have to be trained to operate such weaponry first.

Nizzer wrote.

and b, whether there is any evidence of mobile guns being used along side fixed ones like the hotchkiss?

Yes the 2pdr anti tank gun which had it's own pillbox design the Type 28, have a look at the pillbox gallery for pics of the 2pdr gun and the Type 28 pillbox.

B

Foxylady · May 2, 2007

At last! The Council have decided that something must be done about the C.A.S. Emplacement on Seaton's beach front. The article regarding this was in yesterday's 'View from Seaton' newspaper, shown below. Great news!

It's not terribly clear so I'll summarise the main points.

EDDC spokesman, Brian Kohl, was quoted as saying: "My proposal is that EDDC will provide and fix a secure metal gate to the entrance doorway. Once this is done, we will paint over all the graffiti inside and out to leave the building in a reasonable state."
Town Clerk, Heather Sanham said: "Once it has been refurbished, I have been asked to approach the Rotary Club for them to consider marking it with a blue plaque, as is common in many towns."
Brian Kohl also said that they have looked at leasing the building, but it failed due to it's poor condition, dampness and lack of interest.
If only I had the dosh!

Here are some more pics of the inside and the amazing view to be seen from it.

Cheers
Foxy

Foxylady · May 2, 2007

Seaton Beach Defences.

When the tide is low and the shingle has been swept out a bit, the following can be seen on the beach.
I wasn't sure if they were originally WW2 placements or just some old bits of steps which had fallen down due to cliff erosion, but a friend who knows more about it than myself is pretty sure that they formed part of the defences.

Cheers
Foxy

Foxylady · May 2, 2007

Moving along the coast to Sidmouth, there is a Type Variant pillbox in the Connaught Gardens.
The pic shown is also in the 'WW2 Pillboxes and Defences' thread.

Cheers
Foxy

Lightbuoy · May 15, 2007

Cool pics -amazing how you could still make out the old barbed wire posts. The blue plaque seems a little odd though, I mean, you'd think it would be camoflauged or something?!!

Lb

P.s. -just a thought on the vandal-proofing of the coastal searchlights -how about a ring of land mines around the place? :mrgreen:

Foxylady · May 15, 2007

Lightbuoy;13002; said:
The blue plaque seems a little odd though, I mean, you'd think it would be camoflauged or something?!!

Well, that's East Devon District Council for you!

Lightbuoy;13002; said:
P.s. -just a thought on the vandal-proofing of the coastal searchlights -how about a ring of land mines around the place?

I'd love to see the little varmints try and get around that! Not that I advocate the blowing up of children, you understand!!!

Foxy

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