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Summary

A structure visible on aerial photographs taken in 1941 and 1951 may be a Second World War searchlight, the base of which was recorded on a site visit in 1995. Remains may survive below vegetation cover.

Summary from record MDV123970:
A WWII searchlight base site

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1414428
• Torbay HER: MTO60056
• Torbay HER: MTO60056

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY? (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

R. Jury reported identifing a possible searchlight base in 1995, though no site report form has been found.

Royal Air Force, 1941, RAF/140/S437/H3, NMR SX8957/13 MSO 31287/PO-032 24-AUG-1941 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352691.

A small flat roofed structure is just visible.

Royal Air Force, 1951, RAF/540/497, RAF/540/497 RP 4004-4005 12-MAY-1951 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351212.

A possible structure is indistinctly visible.

Jury, R., 1997, Broadsands Defensive Sites, site report form (Worksheet). SDV362217.

A site visit in November 1997 found a possible searchlight base. No other remains were discovered on either side of the railway but the hillside is now very overgrown. Other details: Photos

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Searchlight site on Broadsands Beach (Worksheet). SDV362218.

A site visit in 1999 failed to locate any trace of the reported searchlight site.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

A structure is visible, although indistinctly, on the clifftop on aerial photographs taken in 1941. It is at the northern terminus of a slit trench and appears to be roughly 3.5 metres square in plan on aerial photographs taken in 1951. It is possible that this is a Second World War searchlight, the base of which was recorded on a site visit in 1995, although the photographs are too indistinct to confirm this for certain. The structure is not visible on later available aerial photographs but remains may survive below vegetation cover.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351212	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1951. RAF/540/497. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/540/497 RP 4004-4005 12-MAY-1951. [Mapped feature: #64768 ]
SDV352691	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1941. RAF/140/S437/H3. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR SX8957/13 MSO 31287/PO-032 24-AUG-1941.
SDV361984	SMR record: Torbay HER record.
SDV362217	Worksheet: Jury, R.. 1997. Broadsands Defensive Sites. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital. site report form.
SDV362218	Worksheet: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Searchlight site on Broadsands Beach.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)
• EDV7759 - Defence of Britain site visits by R. Jury to World War II Monuments
• EDV7779 - World War II sites in Torbay

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