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Summary

Four possible bomb craters of Second World War date were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as earthwork pits and areas of disturbed ground, extending over a distance of circa 220 metres of south-east facing combe slopes to the south-west of Luppitt village.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOMB CRATER (World War II - 1939 AD to 1942 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/FNO/38, RAF/FNO/38 RV 6016-6017 11-JUL-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359770.

Four circular earthwork pits were visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4300-4301 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Three circular earthwork pits were visible. Map object based partly on this source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

Four possible bomb craters of Second World War date were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s to the south-west of Luppitt village. The earthworks extend over a distance of circa 220 metres of south-east facing combe slopes, the spacing between the craters increasing from north to south from 45 to circa 100 metres.
On aerial photographs of July 1942 the three northernmost possible craters were visible as pits 10 to 13 metres in diameter surrounded by radial areas of disturbed ground, indicative of impact or bomb blast. The fourth crater had possibly been partly filled in by this date and was visible as a smaller pit within an area of smoother disturbed ground. This predates the construction of RAF Upottery at Smeathorpe, circa 5 km to the north-east.
The three northern craters remain visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1947, with the fourth completely levelled. All four have been infilled on later images available to the survey but might survive as below ground features.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4300-4301 11-APR-1947.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359770	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/FNO/38. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photocopy. RAF/FNO/38 RV 6016-6017 11-JUL-1942.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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