Stokes Bay

Stokes Bay

 Gilkicker Anti-Aircraft Gun Site

This was one of three AA gun sites built at Gosport as part of the Portsmouth defences. The other two were were completed at Holbrook and Browndown. The Stokes Bay site was close to the modern Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Station. Gilkicker AA Gun Site was designated as P3 and held four 4.5-inch static AA guns in 1942. No surface features of the site remain, although the four concrete bases on which the guns stood can sometimes been seen underneath the grass in dry weather.

The Gun Operations Room for Gosport AA defence was in Fort Monckton whilst the Master Gun Operations Room (Sector Control) for the entire Solent Sector was in Fort Fareham.

These batteries came under the command of 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade: (Solent master gun operations room at Fort Fareham), Hampshire - Southern Area, Southern Command. The guns themselves may have been manned by
57th (Wessex) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - Southern Area, Southern Command
215th (Gosport and Fareham) Bty: Gosport. The Gosport gun operations room was in Fort Monckton.

The site with the four concrete emplacements just visible.

One of the concrete emplacements just visible in December 2008

4.5-inch AA gun deployed at Gilkicker AA Battery

To the north of the four gun emplacements was a hutted camp probably part of the D-Day embarkation slipway facilities, also used by the WWII Anti-Aircraft battery. After the War it was used by the Territorials as a weekend training facility until they moved to Browndown Camp in 1959. The huts remained until at least 1976. The gun site concrete was reported to have been removed in 1976 but some concrete can still be seen in dry weather.

Plan of Gilkicker AA Battery in 1952

 

To the north of Fort Gilkicker was a GL Radar Mark II with its extensive mat of wires laid across the ground.

 

A barrage balloon was moored at the School of Electric Lighting site near to Fort Gilkicker and a coastal searchlight was mounted to the west of Fort Gilkicker with another at No.2 Battery. Within Fort Gilkicker was a 30mm Bofors later replaced with a 20mm gun. An unspecified AA gun was located in Stanley Park, which was then a private garden.

 

 

Browndown AA gun site.

This was designated as P40 and was at the west end of Browndown Road at O.S. Grid reference SZ 579996

Browndown AA Gunsite on Flashearth

Browndown AA Gun Site in 2011

 

Holbrook AA Gun Site

This was designated as P4 for four 4.5inch AA guns and was to the west of the A32 at Holbrook O.S. Grid reference SU 592021. Nothing of this site remains today. The hutted accommodation at the site was used for many years after the War as Holbrook Junior School.

O.S. Plan of Holbrook AA Gunsite in 1956

The gun emplacements were to the left of the hutments.

 

Aerial view of Holbrook AA gun site: post war (1960s?).