HAA Lound (Suffolk)

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hamishsfriend

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Location
Norfolk
Heavy Anti-aircraft (HAA) batteries housed large guns to engage high-flying enemy bombers, hence their location around the south and east coasts and close to large cities and industrial or military targets. Of all of the Second World War batteries built, these were the most substantial with provision for either static or mobile guns of varying sizes. The gun emplacements were usually arranged in groups of either four or eight. Anti-aircraft sites had related structures such as a command post, sometimes radar, on-site magazines for storing reserve ammunition, gun stores (for infantry use) and power generation huts. There were also domestic buildings with huts, ablution blocks, offices and stores. Sites were commonly also provided with structures for their close defence with pillboxes being the most common.

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Unfortunately, the WWII gun battery site is much overgrown and used for storing straw bales and dumping agricultural and all sorts of other waste.

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The site's main purpose was to guard the then top-secret amphibious-tank training site at near-by Fritton Lake, where specially modified Valentine (and later Sherman) tanks were adapted to make them floatable so that they could be launched at sea and 'swim' to shore. These tanks would play a significant role in the D day landings.

This is one such modified Valentine tank.

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More information on the amphibious-tank training experiments can be found here:
http://www.somerleyton.co.uk/downloads/FrittonLake_DuplexDriveAmphibiousTanks.pdf

The battery comprised four gun pits, an engine room, command post and radar tower as well as a generator room and stores.

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Something sinister-looking is lurking above the hedge, what it is I do not know.

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Only two buildings, now used as farm sheds, and a few concrete bases remain. The better preserved one of the sheds stands empty and its entrances have been blocked by heaps of cow manure. The other one appears to be used for storage.

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