Forth Defences, Middle, Inchcolm

For Second World War searchlights see NT18SE 22.09

When the island was first defended, in 1915, the Fort Record Book (The National Archive WO 192/108) states that it was intended that there should be two Defence Electric Lights (powerful searchlights to illuminate targets for the guns at night). The first record map of the islands defences, also dated 1915 (The National Archives WO 78/4417), however, shows three, No. 1 at NT 19154 82715, No. 2 at NT 19284 82543 and No. 3 at NT 19259 82502.

In the re-working of the defences of the Forth in 1916-17 the island was equipped with a large engine room, to hold seven generators (see NT18SE 22.13), and drawings of 1916 show proposals for a total of seven lights on the island. It is clear from what survives on the ground that these proposals were not completely carried through.

The old No.1 was to be replaced by a new No. 7 at NT 19160 82699. [Two emplacements were formerly recorded as NT18NE 22.09] The two emplacements on the ground are of different types - the older one is for a searchlight that could be moved to follow a target; the newer is one that threw a series of vertical fixed beams (Second War World searchlight) - this arrangement was used where guns were pre-ranged on specific areas of sea and could be fired as a target entered that area.

The former emplacement Nos. 2 and 3, at the eastern tip of the island, were supposed to be replaced by four new lights: Nos 3 to 6. Four emplacements still survive here: No. 3 appears to be original one built in 1915 and is of the moveable light kind. Nos. 4, 5 and 6 are of the fixed light type (see NT18SE 22.09 Second War War searchlights). Their locations are (No. 6) NT 1927 8254, (No. 5) NT 1927 8253, (No. 4) NT 1927 8253).

Finally the 1916 map also suggests that two searchlight emplacements were to be built close together just to the south of the engine room, at about NT 1910 8259. It is not known if these were built.

Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 16 August 2013.

NT18SE 22.08 19235 82503, 19281 82542, 19279 82518 and 19282 82524

At least five searchlight emplacements have been identified from RAF WW II and postwar oblique and vertical air photographs (S 309, 6964, flown 2 October 1941 and 106G/Scot/UK 10, 7021-7023, gflown 15 April 1946, around the eastern end of the island.

It is not known whether these are World War I or World War II emplacements.

Information from RCAHMS (DE), March 2005