UK COASTAL ARTILLERY DOVER WW2
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มี.ค. 2024
- Short video showing the old Coastal Artillery Positions at the Western Heights at Dover, Kent, UK.
First used in the Victorian era and then improved defences and larger coastal artillery pieces were added during WW2. Dover had the nick name of 'Hell Fire Corner', during WW2, not only did they suffer sustained air attacks but also enemy ships pounded the coastline and even large German artillery pieces would reach Dover meaning the town came under bombardment with no pre-warning.
Many people chose to live underground in the many tunnel systems some of which are still able to be visited today.
Bloody criminal how the old facility has been left to rot.
I've got family in dover the whole town has been left to rot
Plenty of money and resources to accommodate the mass influx, if you know what I mean.
Memories 1978 RE Juniors Wednesday sports afternoon running from Park Barracks to the gun inplacements and back with our section CPL,s Mars bars for quickest section time 😂 Finally retired 2016
I believe the area was known as hellfire corner Keith , it received a lot of attention from the Luftwaffe in 1940 . A very interesting and well presented video mate . It's a shame about the disrespectful graffiti but such are the times we live in . 👍
Still got one of those AA blocks in Aldershot. Great little Video, lovely day too, always a bonus. Great work Keith keep going
Thank you for showing us round this fascinating site - made me think of Dad's Army! It needs to be renovated and operated as a museum, like the Cabinet War Rooms and similar places of important historical interest. Kind of heartbreaking to see it being neglected.
That was a fantastic blog Keith really enjoyed that. How far are you from the WWII forts in the Thames Eastuary ? Think they were called Mansull Forts, there used to be some up here in Liverpool on the Mersey to protect the docks here.
Warning - Dover Castle is operated by English Heritage, so it's free to enter if you're a Member of EH and around the £20 per head mark if you aren't. You can get a few quid off by booking in advance on-line. They don't offer any reduction if you arrive close to closing time either, so it can be an expensive visit if you don't want to spend the day there.
Awesome video as always Keith. We have a Fort "Fort Scratchley" overlooking our port here in Newcastle (Australia), Was built in the 1800's. It seen action in WW2 returning fire at a Japanese Submarine that was firing at our local steel works. The Fort is now a museum. We have a few other pill boxes scattered along our local coast line that are in similar condition to the one in your video. Keep the great stories coming in your videos. And if you haven't you should write a book telling your stories. Look forward to your next video.
Thanks for this - My Grandfather was manning the guns there in WW2
Was born and bred in Dover. Lived near here in Aycliffe. All these Structures were my and my friends playground back in the late 50s - 60s after which I moved away. It was a really good place to grow up. Sadly Dover town has really gone downhill now. I rarely go back, except to take my grandsons to the Castle and fish off the Admiralty pier. Still have family in the area though. Nice video. Good memories.
Thanks Keith love your up loads regards to you and yours😊❤😊❤and your grandchild bless her😊❤
Thank you so very much
Brilliant film thanks colonel watched a history programme on Manston recently...absolutely shocking how many people died there in WW2 ..really enjoy your films thanks
I'm 91 years old, ex REME. In 1953 I was posted LAD to Coastal Artillery HQ at Dover on the cliff overlooking St Margarets Bay. I was responsible for service and maintaining gun control radar on the coastal batteries along the South coast, and East coast up to the Humber. REME had an electronics workshop on Military Hill. On the cliff top was a battery of 2 16 inch ex naval guns and I think there was 4 10 inch naval guns, the magazines were below ground and connected by underground tunnels. The shells and charges were hoisted and loaded pneumatically into the gun breaches. During WWII the 16 inch guns were used to shell Calais and the French coast. I was eventually posted to Landguard Fort near Felixstowe which was more central to the Coastal Defence system, but that's a completely different story. Coastal Defence was disbanded I believe in 1956.
Thank you very much for all of that information/history. My Father started in Coastal Artillery in 1949 and was initially posted to Gibraltar.
Thank you for your service Sir.
🫡🙏
The open topped bunker housed the director on top of the pintle. This was a compass card with a protractor mounted on top. This provided direction and azimuth of aircraft coming towards the mainland. They would then telephone their position and the bearing and azimuth through to command along with number and type of aircraft. Directors along the coast would allow distance and altitude to be estimated and that info would be passed to fighter command.
Great video as always Keith.
Would they have been Royal Observer Corps? Stationed alongside the RA Troops stationed there to man the guns?
Thanks in advance 😊
Ian
Was on the eastern side a couple of years ago and walked down to Deal. Very interesting walk.
That brought back some memories, spent four months training at the PWSTS for the Merchant Navy in Dover. Used to go running up to the western heights and the citadel which was a borstal at the time 1967.
Big old climb running up to there! Thank you for commenting 👍
Yet another good video 👍🏻
What I find remarkable about these old WW2 sites is that the concrete and steel is STILL there! If that circle of bolt mountings had been made in China it would have been dust decades ago! Me fatha and his brothers worked in our steel industry after the war and always said that we made the best steel in the world.
Dear Keith, thanks for sharing a fascinating history. Best Wishes Johnny
New to your channel and have sub to your channel, love your passion on history ❤️.keep these videos coming 😊
Thank you for this video Very interesting , great to see these wartime installations 👍🇬🇧
My Grandad was Royal Garrison Artillery fought in WW1 and WW2...... His middle name was "Lucky " .... LOL .
WW1 Heavy Howitzers Ypres .
WW2 Dunkirk then WO Gunner on the Queen of Bermuda Armed Merchant Cruiser .
Finished off at Languard Fort near Harwich . Busy at night engaging E Boats trying to get up the River .
Met Grandma here in Malta at the Citadel Gozo. My Mum was born in Fort St Louis Mauritius .
Forgotten about Regiment .
These Forts / Citadels could close up and be self sufficient .
RGA Museum in Fort Northe Weymouth ,. It's Brilliant .
Several Pubs nearby .
Keep up the Walking .
Regards from Malta 😎👍🇲🇹
Thanks for sharing that Stewart, hope alls well out on that beautiful island 🏝 👍
@@LetsTab59-bd4fd All good thanks.... Slowly getting Hotter 😎👍❤️🇲🇹
Nice video Keith, my great Uncle manned the guns there in WW2, got injured, lost an eye.
Bloody hell Steve God bless him 🙏
Great video Keith as always. Interesting to see how our defences would have been in WW2. All the best mate.
Good day sir 👍🏻⚓🇺🇲🇺🇲
🖐hey David
I really like all the Videos Keith. Everyone is exceptional. This is another. Hope you can do some more about the coastal defenses and of course Dover Castle when you can. I've done some reading on the coastal batteries and quite alot hisorically on the British Armed Forces. Excellent video again sir. Thank you. Let's Tab......
Great video, having spent all my life in the military or working for the military I love a defencive position or a bunker system, a shame these historic places are being left to rot.
Thanks Keith for another awesome video.👍💪
Cheers Brother
Thanks for the video love all this ww2 stuff part of our survival in ww2 🎉🎉🎉
Fascinating! A fortress made mostly of bricks. I would have thougt it was built in reinforced concrete.
Coastline defences seems to be in need again, nowadays. Perhaps not in the old ways, but still. Good thing it isn't demolished.
Great video again Keith
Hello Keith.I have explored the coastline between folkstone and Dover many times and checked out all the old military facilities. Fascinating the military history in the area.💂♂️ I presume you have been to Chatham and Brompton?
Yes, had to go to Brompton back in the 90's to deliver some pre-employment training for the TA going out to Bosnia
Great video mate. Some good comments 👏
Another interesting vid, many thanks...you mentioned previously your a keen biker, did you use any bikes in the military; Can Am's or Armstrong's?...I'd love hear your experience's, cheers
You need to come and see brixham battery its been restored and there is a small museum
50cal Vickers ? Although they were usually used on Ships 🔥
Tab I used to have a rendezvous at that battery with a married woman every Tuesday for an hour' of hand to hand combat. Happy days
Awesome 👌
Gosh, don't those bunkers look like a relic of the past. It's our role to remind people what happened here all of those years before most of us were born Keith. I'm happy enough learning about it, I'm not sure I'd want to actually live through it. This is why we're all so scared of Russia I think.
Do you remember FORT BURGOYNE at the back end of Connaught Bks Dover
where in Lincs as in Gainsborough over Easter pint in the RBL
Friskney village, about 12 miles from Skegness. Pint and meet up would be great 👍
Isn’t there some underground bunkers around there somewhere ?
There’s underground tunnels and an old underground hospital at Dover Castle, as mentioned not too far away.
Perhaps it’s that you’re thinking of?
All the best 👍🏼
Ian
❤
👍
Awesome video per usual. I’ve seen these bunker installations before on another TH-cam channel, IKS Exploration. They go around looking at assorted sites ranging from the Victorian Period up to and through the Cold War Period. I’ve have even camped in such sites in East Coast Canada and in South Korea and other undisclosed locations.🍺🫵🤟🇨🇦🫡🇬🇧🤟🫵🍺
Do you have an email I can contact you on my friend?
Kent59shooter@gmail.com
@@LetsTab59-bd4fd I'll drop you an email tomorrow, take care Brother. 🇬🇧
👍👍👍
👍🍻