NHER 27489 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two searchlight battery

July 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two searchlight battery is visible on contemporary aerial photographs (S1 to S3). This battery was located on open ground to the west of the railway line at TG 5253 1226. The battery was already disused when it is first visible on aerial photographs in May 1944 (S1). Earth banks surrounding three searchlight emplacements were present in a typical trefoil plan. Each of the emplacements had a diameter close to the standard size of about 9m. The concrete bases of the emplacements are not visible. Located 50m to the north of the three searchlight emplacements was a further emplacement with a penannular earth bank. This emplacement has an internal diameter of approximately 12m and contained a circular concrete base in its centre. It is likely that this emplacement housed the predictor equipment for the battery or possibly a light anti aircraft gun.

This searchlight battery was constructed after February 1941 as it is not present on aerial photographs of that date (S4). However, by the time it is visible on the aerial photographs in May 1944 (S1) it had already gone out of use. A single structure on a circular base is visible 120m to the east of the site on May 1944 and later aerial photographs (S1). It is possible that it is a single searchlight associated with the military buildings surrounding it (NHER 27508). The earthworks at the searchlight battery had been levelled and the emplacements were partly visible as cropmarks by September 1945 (S3). The site had been built over by September 1965 (S5).
J. Albone (NMP), 20 July 2005.