Archaeology Notes

Event ID 745716

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/745716

ND29NE 2.00 28443 99763

ND29NE 2.01 HY 28158 99911 Pillbox

ND29NE 2.02 centred HY 2821 9981 Military camp

ND29NE 2.03 c. HY 2823 9983 Decoy site (Anti-aircraft battery decoy)

This Anti-Aircraft Battery situated near the summit of Lyrawa Hill, which has been noted on air photographs (Visible on RAF LEU/UK (Pt 1), no.7094), flown 1948) has been almost totally removed. Many of the accommodation hut bases still survive on both sides of the track leading up to the summit.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE), May 1996.

The hut bases, gun-emplacements and command centre of a WW II heavy anti-aircraft battery are situated on either side of track leading to the summit of Lyrawa Hill. The remaining upstanding gun-emplacement lies on the NE-facing slope immediately below the summit and the hut bases for the accommodation camp are strung out along the track from the B9047 road. The pillbox (ND29NE 2.01) is on the S side of the junction between the road and the track.

About 150M E from the junction of the track and road are traces of the emplacements and command centre for a 'dummy or decoy' anti-aircraft battery.

The battery is visible on RAF vertical air photographs (LEU/UK 4, 7093-7094, 17 April 1948), which shows the almost full extent of the installations, inlcuding the dummy AA battery. Vertical air photographs taken in 1971 (Fairey Survey Ltd - SDD, 7343, 43 338 - 43 339, flown 6 June 1971), show the battery still retained the four emplacements at this date as well as the dummy site which can also still be seen.

The battery was designated H7 by the War Office and was armed in 1942 with four static 3.7-inch guns and formed part of 59 Brigade. (PRO WO 166/7270). No radar unit was provided with this battery.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE), May 2001.