NHER 27562 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two anti aircraft battery

August 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two anti aircraft gun battery site is visible on contemporary aerial photographs (S1) to (S4). This site is located on Great Yarmouth racecourse and was centred on TG 5287 1043. A cross-shaped area of disturbed ground measuring up to 9m across was present to the east of the railway line at TG 5296 1041 by August 1940 (S1). This mark suggests that a mobile anti aircraft gun had been placed there, but had been moved before that date. The size of the mark might indicate a heavy anti aircraft gun at this location. No pits or marks were present to the west of the railway line in August 1940.
Six cross shaped pits and marks were visible to the west of the railway line between TG 52790 10445 and TG 5290 1041 by March 1944 (S2). These measured up to 6m across from limb to limb and the best defined pits had a 2m to 2.5m square pit in the centre (S3) and )S4). Some but not all of the pits were surrounded by low banks, presumably created by the spoil from the pit. The smaller size of these pits would suggest that they had contained Bofors guns or similar light anti aircraft artillery.
A heavy anti aircraft battery with four 3" guns, is recorded as being present at the Great Yarmouth racecourse in 1942 (S5). Although the grid reference given for that battery is TG 527 101 no concrete emplacements or gun pits are visible anywhere on the racecourse site on aerial photographs dating to 1944 (see NHER 27528 and 32675). It is possible, but unlikely, that permanent emplacements for fixed guns were originally present at the site but that they had been removed by 1944. The heavy anti aircraft battery at the site may have operated mobile guns that would not have needed substantial emplacements. This would account for both the apparently short operational life of the battery and the lack of evidence for it on the later aerial photographs. Weapons pits and slit trenches are also visible in this area of the site on World War Two aerial photographs (S1) to (S4).
J. Albone (NMP), 11 August 2005