Verne Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery is a World War II

anti-aircraft battery Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...

on the

Isle of Portland An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English British English (BrE, en-GB, or BE) is, according to Lexico, Oxford Dictionaries, "English language, English as used in Great Britain, as distinct fr ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is located on private property in the north-east area of the island, south of the

Verne Citadel Verne Citadel is a 19th-century citadel on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. Located on the highest point of Portland, Verne Hill, it sits in a commanding position overlooking Portland Harbour, which it was built to defend. It later became H ...

. The battery became a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

in March 2019.

History

During World War II, Portland's naval base was a primary target for German air raids, prompting a number of heavy anti-aircraft batteries to be built within the region, one of which was located close to the Verne Citadel. Locally designated as "Battery B", other nearby batteries included examples at Blackhead near Weymouth, Barrow Hill near Southwell, and

Chickerell Chickerell is a town and parish in Dorset, England. In the 2011 census the parish and the electoral ward had a population of 5,515. History Although Roman remains have been found, indicating that there has been settlement in the area for many ...

, Weymouth. The Verne battery's operated using QF 3.7-inch AA guns. Manned by personnel of AA Command, the battery's associated Gun Operations Room was based at Red Barracks, Weymouth, and from 1941 at Nottington House, Weymouth. The battery was later fitted with GL Mark II radar from 1942. After the war, the battery survived and was put into use as stables.

References

Gallery

Image:Portland HAA Battery 9.JPG, The battery's command bunker. Image:Portland HAA Battery 7.JPG, One of two 1944 mobile square emplacements at the battery. Image:3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Gun, Nothe Fort, Weymouth.jpg, An example of a 3.7 inch AA Gun, seen at the

Nothe Fort Nothe Fort is a fort in Weymouth, Dorset, England, situated at the end of the Nothe Peninsula, which juts eastwards from the town of Weymouth, and Weymouth Harbour, into the sea to the north of the ex-military Portland Harbour. The fort is l ...

in Weymouth. {{Isle of Portland Isle of Portland Forts in Dorset Coastal artillery Jurassic Coast Artillery batteries