Report - Chadwell Heath AA Battery ZE1 November 2010

muttonshutter · Nov 22, 2010

Lee Hadley said:
This anti-aircraft gun site formed part of the Inner Artillery Zone and saw a considerable amount of action during the Blitz of 1940-41 and are recorded as being in use on 76 consecutive nights. This site, designated ZE1, is the only remaining eight gun site of the north east sector. Most sites were decommissioned after the war so the survival of this location is all the more significant as a result. By 1942 ZE1 was designated a 'Master Gun Site' and had its own Radar with fire control responsibilities over adjacent sites. At its height it was manned by over 280 personnel, mostly drawn from the Royal Artillery.

ZE1 really was in the front line against the Luftwaffe, being target by bombers on at least two occasions. Indeed the current owners of the surrounding gravel quarry site - Bretts Lafarge - uncovered a 250lb bomb in 2008 which had to be defused before its removal.

I have been wanting to investigate this site for many years and first remember seeing it in my childhood (when you could see it from the road) while driving past in my mums car.
Now i've returned from the land of Kilts and Shortbread i knew i had to bag it.

Access was interesting and involved running and being ankle deep in sludgy sandy concrete shit, luckily i wasnt wearing my best creepers

Once in we discovered a Rat Child painting, he thought we worked for "The Firm" and begged we didn't arrest him :gay

i gave him a look of disgust and told him we were there to just take pictures, prick :wanker

I must say that it was a very boring place to photograph as there really isn't anything that interesting there.

Anyways, some rather uninspiring photos for you.