NHER 32668 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery and Nucleus Force Battle Headquarters, Gorleston on Sea.

World War Two anti-aircraft artillery given this grid reference in (S1).
Is this accurate?
D. Gurney (NLA) 28 January 1997.

Grid reference corrected by TG 5250 0246.

October 1945.
(S2) shows 4 structures in an arc and ancillary buildings indicating an anti-aircraft battery.
School now built over site.
B. Cushion (NLA) 9 June 1999.

THE CENTRAL GRID REFERENCE FOR THE SITE HAS BEEN ALTERED FROM TG 5250 0246 TO TG 5246 0239.

February 2006. Norfolk NMP.
This Anti-Aircraft Battery consists of up to six Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) gun emplacements and Command Post, plus the associated radar and searchlights and perimeter defences (S3-S7). A group of military huts, buildings and air raid shelters are also visible. These would have provided operational rooms, stores and accommodation for the battery. A searchlight battery is also located to the immediate west, see NHER 42518.

This site, which was referred to as ‘YH2’ in military records, was recorded as having been ‘unarmed’ and without radar in June 1942 (S1: p489), although the aerial photographs definite show the guns in place in 1944. The battery remains in use post-war and becomes a Battle Headquarters (BHQ) as part of the Nuclues Force programme. The BHQ status refers to the fact that the site remained permanently armed unlike other sites, ‘Off-sites’, which kept their guns in ordnance stores elsewhere. The site of the guns and command centre have been fenced off in June 1947 (S8) and by 1951 the whole camp has gone (S9). The site is now Cliff Park High School. The site is centred on TG 5246 0239.

The HAA battery is not visible in February 1941 (S9). Although a structure is visible at this time at approximately TG 5245 0266, it is not clear whether it is military or not. It seems more likely that it is an earlier structure, around which the HAA battery gets built. The battery site is obviously being planned as the tracks, which later form the infrastructure of the battery site, are marked out on the ground, but none of buildings have been erected.

The actual guns are centred on TG 5245 0243 and consists of between four and six 3.7 inch static HAA guns, arranged in a tight arc around the Command Post building. The Command Post is of typical layout, with the open section at the front housing the predictor and height finder, measures 20m by 10m, and has an earth revetment around the walls. In July 1944 four ‘DFW 55414’ HAA gun emplacements are visible with central guns. These are 13m across and are broadly octagonal in plan, although some section of the walls appears to be more rounded than angular. These emplacements have a single entrance and seven ammunition recesses, plus two covered shelters (S11: pp 118-9 & figure 8). Opposite to this arc of four large permanent emplacements is a possible second arc of either dilapidated or unfinished emplacements (S3-S5). The western two are the most complete and may perhaps have been used as actual gun emplacements at some point earlier in the history of the site. The emplacements consist of low embankments, with possible traces of former concrete bases in one. It is not clear whether the battery ever operated eight guns, although this seems unlikely from the available evidence. It was perhaps planned as an eight gun site, then perhaps reduced to a six gun site and then again to a four gun site by 1944. A Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement is also visible at TG 5254 0246, to the immediate northeast of this arc of HAA guns. This consists of a rectangular gun pit, 9m by 6.5m, with a central holdfast and earthen surround. At TG 5251 0235 is a pair of rectangular structures, one is a curved-profile hut and measures 7m by 4.5m and the other is a flat-roofed concrete structure, surrounded by a blast wall and measuring 6m by 4m. It is possible that this blast wall protected building is an engine room or generator.

In the adjacent field to the south are several structures with aerial components, which are part of the radar and searchlight equipment for the site, assumed to be either GL Mk I-II fire-controlled radar. At TG 5238 0223 is a structure which has an aerial component and is located within a circular area of concrete or hard standing. A similar, structure is located to the southwest at TG 5228 0217. This mounted aerial appears to have longer arms or wings to either side (S6-S7). This possibly indicates that it is the radar receiver, rather than the transmitter. No associated GL mat is visible on the aerial photographs around either mounted aerial. At TG 5230 0225 is a further structure, 3.5m by 2.5m, with a mounted aerial component, visible in 1944 (S3-S5). It is possible that this is a mounted searchlight, possibly a radar controlled 150-mm projector mounted on a wheeled trailer.

The northern part of the site is characterised by a large group of huts, centred on TG 5249 0265, mainly of which are curved-profile huts and probably nissens. Others are flat and pitched-roofed structures, some of which appear to be of concrete construction. These buildings would have served a variety of operational purposes and also provided accommodation and stores for the troops and equipment. Some of the huts, those centred on TG 5240 0264, have been removed by August 1945 (S7). At TG 5246 0261 is a possible underground air raid shelter, although this is not certain as the structure cannot be seen clearly in 1944 and by August 1945 the structure is being dismantled (S7). In July 1944 a possible low oblong mound is visible with two elongated cuts into the surface, one on either side. Immediately next to the eastern entrance is a possible camouflaged square structure on top. Three circular light-coloured features are visible, one on the mound itself and two to the east of it. It is assumed that these are vents or emergency exits from an underground shelter or structure. 15m to the east is another elongated recess cut into the ground surface and revetted. It seems likely that this is another entrance to the structure, or possibly an additional air raid shelter.

The perimeter of the site is dotted with small weapons pits and gun emplacements, such as at TG 5208 0232 and TG 5266 0257. A possible pillbox and spigot mortar emplacement are located at the northern approach to the site, see NHER 42318 for details. A pillbox (NHER 42522) and a group of trenches (NHER 42517) protect the southern approach along Lowestoft Road. Several stretches of barbed wire have been laid around the margins of the site, such as from TG 5263 0225 to TG 5266 0257 and from TG 5227 0238 to TG 5208 0233. A possible section of anti-tank ditch and bank is visible to the immediate south of this, although it has been mostly filled in by July 1944 (S4). This is visible as a slight earthwork and a cropmark and has a large circular pit dug into the bank. This barbed wire and trench enclose a group of existing buildings and this may indicate that they are being used by the military.
S. Massey (NMP), 10 February 2006