Monument record 9200/0/1 - WWII Searchlight Battery (25621 Dungee Barn)

A Second World War searchlight battery is visible as cropmarks on historic aerial photographs .The site is on the list from Northamptonshire SMR where it is known only from documentary sources. It was probably constructed between 1939 and 1945 but its condition is uncertain at the time of the Defence of Britain survey. The site was operated by the 467 S/L Battery 73 S/L Regiment. The site is located at Dungee Barn and is visible as cropmarks on historic aerial photographs.

{1} Original source PRO ref WO/166/3313 the war diary of 467 Searchlight Battery, 72 Searchlight Regiment. Documentary confirmation of the presence of this searchlight site known as 25621 Dungee Barn. NGR calculated by Armishaw from MGR 84/379796.
Within c.117 to 240m south-east, south and south-west of the documented location of the site are a series of cropmarks, one described as a D-shaped enclosure and with two smaller rectangular enclosures between 16 and 21m across with a possible building platform. The National Mapping Programme interpretations all suggest a Roman origin. However reference to the air photo of 13/04/1947 depicts these features which are clearly at that time of recent origin, almost certainly part of the by then defunct S/L site. At least one of the features is at this date, circular rather than rectangular. As a result, the actual location of this searchlight site can be assessed as being approximately within the field centred at SP92716005, ie. Less than 100m south of the documented location.

{2} Documentary reference. Original source PRO ref: WO166/3313; details of 467 searchlight battery, 73 Searchlight Regiment. September 1940. Ref: 25621 Dungee Barn, MGR 84/379796.

{2-4} A Second World War searchlight battery is visible as cropmarks on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. Located in a field about 140 metres north of Dungee barn and centred at SP 92702 60012, a circular levelled pale coloured earthwork bank is about 25 metres in diameter. Some 58 metres to the ENE is an earthwork about 19 metres square. Another 156 metres to the ENE, adjacent the Dungee Road, are two further earthworks, one subcircular about 19 metres in diameter and immediately adjacent a 19 metres square earthwork. These are probably the remains of two emplacements for the searchlight battery, plough levelled in 1947, but are soilmarks by 1949. The features are no longer visible on aerial photographs taken in 1968.

<1> Cadman, G., 2003, Dungee Barn: Searchlight Site WW2, (unchecked) (Note). SNN103490.

<2> 1940, PRO ref: WO166/3313: 467 S/L Bty. 72 S/L Regt. September 1940, (checked) (Document). SNN101211.

<3> Historic England, Undated, Defence of Britain, DEB01 (Archive). SNN112947.

<4> Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources (Database). SNN112922.

<5> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1994 F9 1203 13-APR-1947 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<6> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/541/341 RS 4134 15-AUG-1949 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<7> Bedford Borough Council HER, 1968, Georeferenced composite layer of vertical aerial photographs taken in 1968. Held by Bedford Borough Council HER (Archive). SNN112712.

<8> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Apr 9 2024 3:18PM