Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery Hewhaven Nh3 |
| Hob Uid: 1473043 | |
Location :
East Sussex
Lewes
Southease
|
| Grid Ref : TQ4237605444 |
| Summary : Site of Second World War heavy anti aircraft battery at Southease. It was armed with four 3.7-inch static guns with GL Mark II radar in 1942. The HAA emplacement was located to the west of the Rectory in a field known as The Glebe. RAF aerial photographs taken in 1944 show the four gun emplacements in an arc (open to the south) with traces of a possible fifth south of the centre of the arc. All apperar to have been run down by this time. A camp with at least 46 huts and buildings of varying size is located to the east of the HAA gun emplacement around the Rectory garden boundary, with the main camp with three rows of accommodation huts in the area between the Rectory and Croft Farm. In the field tothe east and north-east of the camp are traces of paths and linear features which could be the GL matting for the HAA's radar. It is suggested by the HER that this site was a prison camp, but aerial photographic evidence does not indicate the presence of a fence, gates or watch towers which would indicated the presence of a POW camp. Camps across the country were used at the end of the war for processing and housing displaced persons or prisoners ready for repatriation, but there is no evidence to support this at Southease. The structural remains of the HAA and associated camp were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: South Downs Project. |
More information : Site of Second World War heavy anti aircraft battery at Southease. It was armed with four 3.7-inch static guns with GL Mark II radar in 1942 (1)
The HAA emplacement was located at TQ 4222 0542 to the west of Southease Rectory in a field known as The Glebe. RAF aerial photographs taken in 1944 show the four gun emplacements in an arc (open to the south) with traces of a possible fifth south of the centre of the arc. All apperar to have been run down by this time. A camp with at least 46 huts and buildings of varying size is located to the east of the HAA gun emplacement around the Rectory garden boundary, with the main camp with three rows of accommodation huts in the area between the Rectory and Croft Farm. In the field tothe east and north-east of the camp are traces of paths and linear features which could be the GL matting for the HAA's radar.
It is suggested by the HER that this site was a prison camp, but aerial photographic evidence does not indicate the presence of a fence, gates or watch towers which would indicated the presence of a POW camp. Camps across the country were used at the end of the war for processing and housing displaced persons or prisoners ready for repatriation, but there is no evidence to support this at Southease. The structural remains of the HAA and associated camp were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: South Downs Project. (2)
An account by a landgirl posted to Southease - recorded on the BBC WW2 People's War memories webpage recalls "There was a gun post near the farm there, and some very good Canadian soldiers manning it. As our tractors had to be started by hand with a handle these men came in very useful". This may suggest that the HAA at Southease was at soome point manned by Canadian soldiers. (3) |