EAW039859 ENGLAND (1951). The Anglo-Iranian Oil Co oil refinery under construction, Isle of Grain, from the south, 1951

2ndWW Isle of Grain PSD, Admiralty Fuel Depot.

2ndWW pillbox, S0012583.

Site of QF P-series fire decoy intended to lure German bombers away from oil storage facilities on the Medway. Installed during 1940/41. Not considered by Ms Small to have been effective, given the few bomb craters in evidence. See 'SECOND WORLD WAR OIL QF BOMBING DECOY ALLHALLOWS, MEDWAY, KENT' by Fiona Small English Heritage - Research Report Series no. 8-2014 See also https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4648275,0.6721867,297m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

Wharf constructed for WD barge Gog. Gog was towed by WD steam tug Katherine and from 1930 by Diesel tug Katherine II and brought heavy artillery and naval guns direct from Woolwich Arsenal for test and evaluation. See: http://www.canvey.org/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=403 for further information and photographs of barge at Shoeburyness. This wharf at Yantlet Creek was designed to allow the travelling gantry to pass above the barge and lift its contents straight out. See English Heritage report 39-2013.

This looks like 'Nelson', the 200 ton lift travelling gantry built in 1919 by Cowan and Sheldon. In the English Heritage Report 39-2013, page 60, Edgeworth states that this gantry was removed in 1948 while this photo is dated 1951. In this view, the gantry is near the wharf on the left. However, see EAW045775 dated 12 Aug 1952 where it has moved a distance to the right, much closer to the shorter velocity screen masts. Then in EAW048562 / 3 & 66, all dated 31 March 1953, the gantry is back near the wharf. It looks pretty certain that the gantry was not removed in 1948 and was still used after that date.

Shell store.

Magazine

Gun emplacement

Velocity Room

Electric Power House

Officers' quarters.

Barracks and NCOs' rooms

Institute and Sergeants' Mess

Railway firing points. These were aligned southwest to northeast, parallel to the main firing range and the Grain Range Line, see English Heritage Report 39-2015.

Guardhouse and entrance barrier

Terrace of 4 houses known as the Police Cottages. Built early 1930s for site security staff. (English Heritage Report 39-2013)

Velocity screen masts, the shorter pair were 110 feet tall, the other pair were 210 feet tall. The distance between the two sets was 79 metres. Between each pair of masts a square frame of about 6 to 8 feet per side (my own very rough estimation from photo on page 55 of English Heritage Report 39-2013) was suspended, precisely aligned with the gun that was being tested. When fired, the shell would pass through each frame which was covered with a fine metal mesh. The time between the first and second mesh being perforated was measured and from this the velocity of the shell at firing could be calculated. (I assume that the time of impact on Maplin sands was also measured so that average and terminal velocities could also be calculated.)

Grain Island Firing Point / Yantlet Battery. Per Matt Edgeworth of English Heritage in his report 'Grain Island Firing Point, Yantlet Creek, Isle of Grain, Medway. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment' Research Report Series 39-2013 (http://services.english-heritage.org.uk/ResearchReportsPdfs/039_2013WEB.pdf) This installation was built for the testing and evaluation of long range guns and formed part of the Shoeburyness ranges in Essex. This provided a firing corridor from Grain to the Maplin Sands that was 17 miles (27km) in length and enabled fired shells to be recovered from the sands for close examination. The Grain site was acquired by the Admiralty in 1917 and was initially operational from 1919. Use for artillery testing ceased during the 1950s as: the range of heavy guns exceeded 17 miles; and guided missiles replaced long range artillery. The site was then used as a demolition range. The report explains very well how the site was laid out and used and is well illustrated with some very clear photographs.

What are these four masts for? The cluster of two very tall and two about two thirds the height, look like Chain Home radar masts. However, Chain Home masts were two groups of three each, the taller masts (350 feet) being the transmitters and the shorter masts (240 feet) the receivers. Also, from an initial search, I can't find any reference to there being a Chain Home radar station at Grain. The masts are the wrong design for power transmission lines, plus the Grain power station had not been built and there are no other pylons in the vicinity. Finally, the details state that the photo was taken from the south: I think that the axis is more south east to north west.

Canvey Island, Essex

Hamshill Fleet, Isle of Grain

Yantlet Creek, Isle of Grain

River Thames