Archaeology Notes

Event ID 714852

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/714852

NT28SW 1.00 Centred 20674 80579

NT28SW 1.01 Centred NT 2069 8053 Coastal Battery; Observation Post

NT28SW 1.02 Centred NT 2066 8056 Coastal Battery; Observation Post

NT28SW 1.03 Centred NT 20681 80627 Coastal Battery; Observation Post

NT28SW 1.04 NT 20589 80547 Pier

NT28SW 1.05 NT 20718 80619 Jetty

NT28SW 1.06 Centred NT 2073 8050 Searchlight Battery (Gun No.1)

NT28SW 1.07 Centred NT 2063 8062 Searchlight Battery (Gun No.2)

NT28SW 1.08 NT 20626 80605 Engine House (N)

NT28SW 1.09 c. NT 20670 80524 Engine House (S)

NT28SW 1.10 NT 20623 80571 Pillbox

NT28SW 1.11 NT 20675 80622 Searchlight Battery

NT28SW 1.12 NT 20652 80575 Anti Aircraft Battery

N.B. All grid references have been made against the current OS digital maps. However, it has been noted that there is a difference between the ortho-rectified Ordnance Survey vertical air photographs of at least 30m. No GPS survey was carried out by RCAHMS on the island.

Inchmickery has been defended in both world wars. In World War I the island was manned and armed by 1915 and two coast batteries with associated searchlights were built. The calibre of the guns was altered during the war, and the guns were removed in 1917 and 1924 respectively. In September 1939, the island gun positions re-armed and 160 Heavy Battery RA (Forth Heavy Brigade) under the command of Major Anderson were mobilized to man the various coast positions throughout the Forth area. However, it was not until March 1940 that a detachment from Cramond proceeded to Inchmickery, which at this stage had no guns mounted. At this time a detachment of the Royal Engineers were installing engines, searchlights and laying surface cables, while civil contractors, John Best & Sons, Edinburgh were building the accommodation. By July 1940, the concrete pier was complete, thus allowing boats to approach and land on the island in safety. The guns were installed in early April, No.1 gun being taken to its emplacement via a sleepered track from the pier and No.2 was taken by the existing path past the N engine room.

In May 1940 the guns were tested and by July a further two were installed with two more in February 1942. June 1941 saw the completion of the accommodation in the form of wooden huts, however, it was decided that these created too high a fire risk, and in July 1941 they were pulled down and the paths torn up, so that nissen huts could be substituted. This work was carried out by 585 (Edinburgh), Field Park Company, Royal Engineers and was completed in May 1942. This alteration reduced the accommodation, consequently forcing one third of personnel to spend two weeks on the island and one week on Charles Hill Battery (NT18SE 27).

In August 1942 most of the personnel on the island were moved away and some work carried out to restore the island to its previous state.

J A Guy 1997; NMRS MS 810/5, 115-16

Site recorded by GUARD during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, 'The Firth of Forth from Dunbar to the Coast of Fife' 1996.

A short visit was made to the island in late February 2010 by RCAHMS to undertake a rapid photographic survey. The visit allowed the RCAHMS field surveyor to check grid references and ascertain what survives of the military presence on the island.

First and Seond World War remains survive on the island, the main discovery being the early and later gun emplacements along with the respective tall Battery Observation Posts. The visit also allowed additional sub-numbering to the existing record to include searchlight batteries, engine rooms, pier and jetty.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE, AL), 23 February 2010