World War One Audit of Surviving Remains
Date 1 November 2013
Event ID 966185
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type World War One Audit of Surviving Remains
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/966185
The northernmost battery was built on the site of the Victorian North Battery No. 2. In 1879 a single 10-inch Rifled Muzzle Loader had been emplaced here. According to the Fort Record Book, the gun was replaced in 1891 by a 6-inch BL gun, the 10-inch gun being sent to Kinghorn. [The National Archives WO192/251]. The battery was rebuilt to take two 6-inch guns, which were in place by September 1904 (at which time the battery was known as "I" Group). A drawing on War Office file WO 78/5180, unfortunately undated, shows plans and cross-sections of the battery, apparently very much as built.
The battery was, confusingly, first called "I" Group, but became "M" Group at some time after 1904.
The battery was struck off the approved armament of the island in 1906 and the two guns were replaced in 1907 by different 6-inch guns for practice use; these guns were themselves removed in November 1909, when the School of Gunnery was moved from Leith to Broughty Castle. [The National Archives WO 192/251].
The battery was brought back into use in June 1915 using two guns brought from batteries in England and mounted in the existing emplacements. One of the guns, M1, was dismounted almost immediately and moved to emplacement 2 in battery Group “H” (confusingly, later re-named Group “L”) on the island, during September 1915. The battery is recorded as mounting a single 6-inch gun in the definitive summary of the Forth defences dated October 1916. [WO 78/5179].
By the time of the Second World War the single gun is labelled “North Gun No. 1”.
Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 30 October 2013.
