Woodford's Battery was an
artillery battery in the
British Overseas Territory of
Gibraltar
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, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
.
It is located at
Europa Flats between the
Defensible Barracks and the ''Officer's Barracks'' and
Eliott's Battery.
The battery was built before 1738 as a demi-bastion set into the old Spanish-era coastal wall, constructed by Charles V. It was originally called Five Gun Battery but its complement of guns was later expanded. It was equipped with four embrasures on the left flank, facing south-east towards Europa Point, and two on the right flank, facing north-west towards the nearby
Hutment Battery. Further firing positions were provided a short distance further south by the three-gun Woodford's Left Flank battery, which together with the 1st Europa Point Right Flank battery
enfiladed the ground in front of the Defensible Barracks. It was renamed after a
governor of Gibraltar
The governor of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the ...
, Field Marshal Sir
Alexander George Woodford
Field Marshal Sir Alexander George Woodford, GCB, KCMG (15 June 1782 – 26 August 1870), was a British Army officer. After taking part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, he served in most of the battles of the Napoleonic Wars. During t ...
, who served in that role between 1836 and 1843.
Nine guns had been installed in the battery by 1859 and it continued to mount a variety of guns up to 1892. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
it was used to mount a defence electric light, which was removed in the late 20th century.
References
Batteries in Gibraltar
{{Gibraltar-stub