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Summary

An anti-aircraft searchlight light battery (Searchlight Canopy Site A6) of Second World War date is visible as an earthwork pit and banked feature and vegetation marks on aerial photographs of 1945, at Blackhorse. By 1947 the site of the former searchlight battery has been completely levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY (World War II - 1943 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/996, RAF/106G/UK/996 RVp3 6199-200 12-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358938.

The anti-aircraft searchlight battery is visible as an earthwork pit and banked feature and vegetation marks. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2458-59 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

The site of the former searchlight battery has been completely levelled.

Francis, P., 1999, Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council, 140 (Report - non-specific). SDV323390.

A6 Canopy Site at Blackhorse. 506 Battery, 80th Searchlight Regiment / 469 Battery Battery, 74th Searchlight Regiment, Oct/Nov 1943. Map object based on this Source.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

An anti-aircraft searchlight light battery of Second World War date is visible as an earthwork pit and banked feature and vegetation marks on aerial photographs of 1945, at Blackhorse. The site is located alongside and either side a former field northwest to southeast aligned boundary, on the southern side of Honiton Road. It comprises an oval shaped earthwork pit of a possible weapons pit measuring approximately 4m in length by 3m in width and which is surrounded by an outer earthwork bank. An entrance is present on its western side. To the northwest are the remains of a possible demolished searchlight emplacement visible as vegetation marks and characterised by a central circular mark approximately 3.5m in diameter which is surrounded by an outer ring, approximately 9.5m in diameter. Both the weapons pit and former searchlight emplacement appear to be encompassed by vegetation marks of former fencing or barbed-wire entanglements, with trackways leading from these features to and along the hedge line towards a rectangular area of rough grass. Two rectangular vegetation marks within this area of rough grass appear to represent the footprint of former structures, perhaps for an accommodation block and generator block. By 1947 the site of the former searchlight battery has been completely levelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV323390	Report - non-specific: Francis, P.. 1999. Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council. Airfield Research Publishing Report. Digital + A4. 140.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2458-59 11-APR-1947.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV358938	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/996. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/996 RVp3 6199-200 12-NOV-1945.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4774 - Historic Airport Survey, Exeter Airport
• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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