Archaeology Notes
Event ID 747038
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/747038
ND49NE 19.00 48473 98729
For the Broch see also ND49NE 2
ND49NE 19.01 c.ND 4849 9873 Gun-emplacement; magazine
ND49NE 19.02 ND 48531 98730 Engine house
ND49NE 19.03 ND 48433 98697 Engine house (auxiliary)
ND49NE 19.04 ND 48590 98784, ND 48628 98786 and ND 48380 98736 Searchlight battery
This gun battery built adjacent to a broch (ND49NE 2) consisted of one twin 6 pounder, but was by July 1940 increased to two 6 pounder guns. The guns were removed in 1943. The associated buildings survive, but not in the usual layout.
J Guy 1993; NMRS MS 810/2.
ND 483 987 WWII searchlight emplacement.
ND 484 987 Burray battery: WWII coastal battery built into broch.
ND 485 987 WWII searchlight emplacement.
ND 486 987 WWII searchlight emplacement.
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Orkney Archaeological Trust
G Wilson and H Moore 1997
A coast battery has been built into a broch (ND49NE 2) and is situated imemdiately above the shoreline between Brough Geo and Boats Geo, about 260m NW of Northfield farmsteading.
Built of shuttered and reinforced concrete, the gun-emplacement sits forward of the two storey observation tower. The gun-emplacement has a angled roof plan. Both viewing platforms of the tower have canopies.
The main gun-emplacement was armed with was armed in November 1940 with a twin 6-pounder, but earlier in that year a single 12-pounder had been installed (ND49NW 19.01) increased in July 1940 to two guns of this calibre. In March of 1941 one 12-pounder was moved to Holm Battery (HY40SE 12.00). The twin 6-pounder guns were removed during 1943 (PRO WO 199/527) to Graemsay Battery (HY20NW 26).
The battery also installed three searchlight platforms (ND49NE 19.04) an engine house (ND49NE 19.02), and an auxiliary engine house at c. ND 4846 9865.
Public Record Office documents show that the battery was designated in April 1941 as 139, and manned by 533 Regiment (WO 199/2627). The battery is visible on RAF vertical air photogrpahs (106G/Scot/UK 137, 3011-3012, flown 3 July 1946), which shows that there was a small accommodation camp of about nine huts situated 60m SE of the observation tower (c. ND 4852 9868).
Visited by RCAHMS (DE, GS), August 1999
