ww2 costal defence structure?

i came across this round concreat structure in porthcawl on the grounds of the rest bay hotel, i know its a costal gun platform, but i would like to know what sort of gun and what it would have looked like in the day.

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[IMG]/community/122290=11710-DSCF4485 (800x451).jpg[/img]

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I'm not being smart but to my untutored eye this doesn't look anything like a gun position, more like an aerial base including the aerial feed in one of the photos. If it was a gun postion you'd expect 2 or more emplacements + battery control position + magazine + protective earthworks etc. These don't seem to be visible on the first photo?

Coastal gun batteries followed a fairly standard sort of layout. Photo attached. Anyone tell me where this one is?

What makes you think gun?

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Lets go again!

I'm not being smart but to my untutored eye this doesn't look anything like a gun position, more like an aerial base including the aerial feed in one of the photos. If it was a gun postion you'd expect 2 or more emplacements + battery control position + magazine + protective earthworks etc. These don't seem to be visible on the first photo?

Coastal gun batteries followed a fairly standard sort of layout. Photo attached. Anyone tell me where this one is?

What makes you think gun?

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'Fraid it's not a gun emplacement ww2nut for the simple reason that there's no sign of a holdfast for a gun or any associated sighting or ammunition storage facilities. My guess is probably some type of observation platform, maybe postwar.

i was told by porthcawl museum many years ago that this was for a gun but thats by no means proof, its probably their best guess at the time. this photo is of the ww2 gun emplacments at Porthkerry down the road a bit, and it looks nothing like the big circle in Rest Bay. however there are stanton shelter remains and a block house a few hundred yards away from the circle and in the Rest bay shot you see small wall like structures that go round the whole thing, prehaps shell storage? i would love to learn more as the hotel is being sold and this will probably be built on shortly

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ww2nut;122298 wrote:

i was told by porthcawl museum many years ago that this was for a gun but thats by no means proof, its probably their best guess at the time. this photo is of the ww2 gun emplacments at Porthkerry down the road a bit,

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Err..that doesn't look much like the usual 6 / 9 inch coastal batteries either!

I wonder if your circle was something to do with the remains of the buildings in the first picture? There is something overgrown between the modern buildings. My thought would be hard standing for a mobile radar perhaps? This reminds me of the set up at Trimmingham in Norfolk for AA Mk7 mobile radar convoys but the base there is a good deal larger.

the Porthkerry battery is well known and was on the bbc news last year, its now a caravan park, i think i agree with the arial mast idear, its just occured to me that the wall like structures all round could have been.....a fence! lol anyway i have asked the local ww2 bofin to have a look for me, thanks for the help, if i do find out i will post

thinking outside the box.... it could have also been an oil tank base to feed the miners holiday home ....ok now i feel stupid

Unfortunately ww2nut there was no gun emplacement there. That whole site however was a mass of military activity. I have the aerial obliques from 1942 I'll post the image up and you can see what I mean. The main focus of activity is located further to the west and north of the nursing home. I think I can make out a AA command bunker and some form of radar GL feature. Have a look and let me know what the rest of the structure are:-)

As promised one 1942 AP. Enjoy!

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Image courtesy of CRAPW.