During both WW1 & WW2 many coastal defence batteries with Anti-Aircraft guns & searchlight towers were set up all around the Orkney & Shetland Islands,many of these remain today and as several of these were instrumental in shooting down enemy aircraft on and around the islands, visits by members of the A.R.G.O.S group will be made to several of these installations and data recorded of what remains there,especially those directly involved in downing aircraft.
Also,the group will be looking at Barrage Balloon sites,which sadly, although acting as a deterant for enemy aircraft,brought down several allied aircraft both in and around Scapa Flow.
Above: Scad AA Battery on Hoy, Director Tower, Magazine building and Gun empacement mount for twin 6-pounder guns. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: Engine room at Scad Battery on Hoy. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: Searchlight building at Scad Battery,Hoy, this is typical of many around the island that are still intact today.Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: One of the Ammo trucks dumped over the cliff at Scad Battery, there is still remains of the old railtrack that runs down the hillside from the main road. Photo: Dave Earl
Men of 226 Anti Aircraft battery on Hoy. Photo: Via William Shearer.
Anti Aircraft guns at Yesnaby on the Orkney West coast manned by the Royal Navy who are seen here during training. Photo: Gregor Lamb Collection Orkney Library photo archive.
Above: Same building today as previous wartime B/W shot minus, guns, railing,doors & window on watch office. Not sure yet of building below, either storage for ammunition or an ops block, more research needed and findings will be posted here. Photo: Dave Ramsey.
More Anti Aircraft guns manned by Royal Navy personel at Yesnaby. Photo: Orkney Library Archives.
Above: The larger of these two buildings at Yesnaby has platforms for the diesel engines which used to power the generator for electricity for the various buildings in the battery,the smaller perhaps housed that generator? Photo: Dave Ramsey.
Another great aerial shot of Yesnaby AA battery from the air as it looks today. Photo: Neil Thain.
Herston AA Gun site.
Above: Carness Battery north of Kirkwall still has most of its buildings,however these are all on private land and permission must be obtained before a visit can be made.many of the buildings have been utilized as stores. Photo: Dave Earl.
One of the old buildings has even been glazed and a new door put on. The engine house can be seen to the right of the picture. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: AA Gun at Lyness Museum Photo: Kevin Heath.
Photo: Kevin Heath
Above: An AA gun in a store at Lyness Museum. Photo: Kevin Heath
Anti Aircraft Z Guns on Flotta
Known as Z Guns or MRLS (Multi Rocket Lauching Systems) a large number were set up on Flotta towards the end of the war, these rocket projectiles had already seen success in Hyde park during 1944 and though trials on Orkney were successful they were never fired here in anger.
Above: Flotta AA Z Guns being test fired on Flotta in 1945. Photo: IWM H39435.
The Flotta Z Guns were strategically placed with ammo shelters which resembled minature Nissen huts,and the guns were on a pedestal which could rotate 360 degrees. Each gun fired two 6 ft rockets which were around 4" in diameter and carried an 18 lb high explosive war head, and the rockets could reach an altitude of 19,000 feet and these guns were usually manned by Royal Artillery.
Above & Below: The Nissen type ammo shelters still remain on Flotta and above can be seen the flame from the Oil refinery. Photos: Dave Earl.
More on the Z Guns can be found here:
http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/Z-Battery
LINKS & NESS BATTERIES - STROMNESS.
The Links battery to the west of Stromness and close to where the golf course lies now was built in 1914 firstly as a temporary measure following the outbreak of WW1, 2 x 12-pdr quick fire guns were used from a warship and by the end of the year another two 12-pdrs had been placed at the Point of Ness but were later replaced but two 6-pdrs.
A shortage of guns saw an order put in to the Bethlehem Steel Company,Pennsylvania,and by spring of 1915 these had arrived and were installed at 3 locations, Ness Bty No.1 at Outertown, Bty No.2 close to the shore both contained 2 x 6-in guns and Bty No.3 situated between the others had three 5.5-in guns, Orkney Territorials manned the smaller guns and Royal Marines the larger ones.
Prior to the Second World War in 1938 the Ness battery moved further west and 2 x 6-in breech loading guns were installed , along with underground magazines, and concrete and brick ancillary buildings with a camp nearby housed by 141 Coastal Battery and a Battery Observation post and Fire Command post, and searchlight installations on the shore, many of the latter buildings from WW2 can still be seen today. and perhaps more unique are the murals on the walls of the canteen depicting country cottage views.
Above: The Engine room for Links battery. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: Twin-6-pdr Gun Battery at Links. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: One Searchlight installation overlooking Hoy Sound. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: The gun installations for the two 6-in breech loaders at Ness Bty. These guns were manned by 141 Coastal Bty until 1945. Photo: Dave Earl.
In May 2010 ARGOS Member Dave Earl was fortunate enough through the kind cooperation of Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme, to have a look around some of these wartime buildings and photos he took of these buildings are shown below:
Above: The Battery Observation Post aloft the Fire Command Post building at Ness Battery. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: Inside the gun battery building at Ness Bty overlooking Hoy Sound. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: Ammunition lockers with heavy cast iron doors situated behind and below the guns. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: The Gunners accomodation block behind the guns. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above: Ness Bty Camp, with accommodation huts for Officers & Men along with Mess Hall, Confrence Room, toilet blocks and kit stores. Photo: Dave Earl.
THE MURAL ON THE WALLS OF THE CANTEEN
Photos: Dave Earl.
Above: Chiefs of Staff Conference Room Ness Bty. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above left: Gypsy caravans on wall of Mess Hall. Above right: Officers sleeping quarters. Photos: Dave Earl.
Above: Great old stone fireplace in the Officers Mess, Ness Bty. Photo: Dave Earl.
Above & Below: Two panoramic shots looking to and from Ness Battery,Stromness. Photos: Alastair Holmes Via Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme.
POINT OF OXAN BATTERY - GRAEMSAY.
The battery at Point of Oxan on the west coast of Graemsay was built in the Summer of 1943 and operational by Dec 45, armament consisted a twin 6pdr gun installation and there were two pairs of 90cm searchlights in a single building,other buildings included a Director Tower and Observation post, two engine rooms, magazine hut, shelter, and camp accomodation for men of 223 Coastal Battery,much of the battery still remains today next to the lighthouse overlooking Hoy Sound.
Above & Below: Two shots showing the Point of Oxan battery director tower & lighthouse. Photos: Dave Earl.
More information can be found in the book ORKNEY COAST BATTERIES` By Jeff Dorman, see our books page for details.
All the Orkney Library photos are available for purchase here:
http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk
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