Forth Defences, Middle, Inchcolm, 12-pdr Battery
Coastal Battery (First World War)
Site Name Forth Defences, Middle, Inchcolm, 12-pdr Battery
Classification Coastal Battery (First World War)
Alternative Name(s) Forth Defences; Firth Of Forth; World War 1
Canmore ID 84236
Site Number NT18SE 22.02
NGR NT 19190 82582
NGR Description NT 19190 82582 and NT 18814 82412
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/84236
- Council Fife
- Parish Aberdour (Dunfermline)
- Former Region Fife
- Former District Dunfermline
- Former County Fife
The island was first manned for defence on 16 March 1915, when 72 NCOs and men from the Royal Garrison Artillery in Leith crossed to Inchcolm and Inchmickery. On Inchcolm they were to man a battery of eight 12-pdr Quick Firing guns (see NT18SE 22.02) and two or three Defence Electric Lights (powerful searchlights to illuminate targets at night, see see NT18SE 22.08). These guns and lights were explicitly intended to ‘cover’ the anti-submarine boom that controlled access up the Forth from this point. A map of August 1915 (The National Archives WO 78/4417) shows the location of the eight guns, as well as the layout of the men’s accommodation. Two of the guns were placed in the western part of the island (“H” Group) and six in the eastern part, around the summit of that part of the island (“O” Group facing north; “M” Group facing NE and “L” Group facing SE). The Battery Command Post and the Electric Light Director were behind these six guns. The 1915 map shows three electric lights, all in the eastern part of the island, one at the northern corner, at two at the eastern tip.
The battery of two 12-pdr guns that were emplaced on the west part of the island, had a shelter, ammunition store and ‘earth closet’.
Information from HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project (GJB) 16 August 2013.
NT18SE 22.02 19226 82549
A World War One and Two coast battery which by 1917 consisted of 8 x 12 pounder QF 18cwt guns and was reduced later in 1917 to only two guns. All guns were removed by 1931.
In 1939 the guns were re-installed from Inchgarvie Battery, but by 1943 the whole battery had been reduced to a care and maintainance basis and the guns being finally removed in 1954. It was named the Kent Battery after the Duke of Kent who fired the first round of the reconstituted battery in 1939.
J Guy 1994; NMRS MS 810/3; PRO WO/192/254
Project (March 2013 - September 2013)
A project to characterise the quantity and quality of the Scottish resource of known surviving remains of the First World War. Carried out in partnership between Historic Scotland and RCAHMS.
