Stevenston, Hawkhill Farm
Anti Aircraft Battery (20th Century)
Site Name Stevenston, Hawkhill Farm
Classification Anti Aircraft Battery (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Clyde Aa Defences; Ic1
Canmore ID 119923
Site Number NS24SE 50
NGR NS 2788 4271
NGR Description Centred NS 2788 4271
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/119923
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Stevenston
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS24SE 50 centred 2788 4271
Hawkhill heavy anti-aircraft battery was situated in a field immediately to the E of Hawkhill farm. The four gun-emplacements were approximately 150m NE of the farm buildings and the accommodation camp was immediately to the E of the farm track from the main A738 public road. The battery was provided with a GL mat, which was located S of the emplacments. The battery is visible in a RAF oblique taken in 1941. (RAF PRU, 3628, flown 1941).
Information from RCAHMS (DE), September 1997.
This was World War II heavy anti-aircraft battery was situated on the E side of Stevenston and the N side of the A783 near the roundabout joining the A78 (T). On the date of visit nothing was found of the gun-emplacements and associated buildings.
The code for this battery was IC1 as part of Irvine Gun Defended Area (GDA). It was armed in 1942 with 4 x 3.7-inch guns.
J Guy 2001; NMRS MS 810/11, Vol.1, 65-6.
Vertical air photographs taken in 1945 (106G/UK/1025, 4008-4010, flown 26 November 1945 [1:10000 scale] and 106G/UK/990, 9 November 1945, [1:5000 scale]), show that the number of emplacements the heavy anti-aircraft battery had, between 1941 and 1945 increased to six. The RAF 1941 oblique (ibid) shows the area for the Gl-mat under construction, but only shows the battery with four emplacements with a magazine and command post. The accommodation camp is visible on the photographs between Hawkhill farmsteading and the A78 dual carriageway road. Both the farmsteading and the battery have been demolished and the site is now occupied by a 'superstore' (OS 1:25000 scale Explorer series).
The battery was part of the Ardeer Gun Defended Area (GDA) with the prefix IC.
The Public Record Office (PRO) documents show that the battery was in 1942 equipped with four 3.7-inch guns and a GL Mk 1A radar set, but by November 1943 armament had been increased to six 3.7-inch guns with one EF type radar set. Manning in 1940 and 1942 was 42 Brigade, but the Regiment changed from 102 to 170 as did the Battery from 316 to 528 over the same period (PRO WO 166/2129, 1940; WO 166/7309, 1942; AIR 2/4768, 1942; WO 166/11169, 1943).
Information from RCAHMS (DE), August 2005; Public Record Office.
