Monument record 4144 - Anti Aircraft Battery at Ince

<1> C S Dobinson, 1996, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. Volume I.3 Anti-Aircraft artillery, 1914-46, p.417 (Report). SCH4454.

Mersey number W H26 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery. Earliest reference - February 1940, last reference - 15 January 1946. In June 1942 it had 2x 3.7inch (static) guns. In January 1946 it became an 'Off' Site in the Nucleus Force, and therefore was one of the gun sites kept in a Un-Gunned state for the cold war. 'Off' Sites could quickly be re-gunned in the event of conflict, with the guns normally being stored in warehouses to reduce maintinance costs (1). Grid referance changed from SJ451762 as it was still on the Ordnance survey maps at time of print.

<1> C S Dobinson, 1996, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. Volume III Bombing decoys of WWII : England's passive air defences, 1939-45 (Report). SCH8257.

<2> Archaeological Research Services Ltd, 2007-9, North West Rapid Coastal Zone National Mapping Programme Assessment Survey (Digital Archive). SCH8040.

A Second World War heavy anti aircraft battery and associated military camp and pillboxes are visible as structures on air photographs, centred at SJ 4530 7602. Some elements of the battery are still extant on the latest 1992 Ordnance Survey vertical photography. (3-4)

<3> Royal Air Force, 1945-1979, RAF Aerial Photographs, RAF 540/759 5003 27-MAY-1952 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8316.

<4> Royal Air Force, 1945-1979, RAF Aerial Photographs, RAF 106G/UK/626 4239 10-AUG-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8316.

<5> Historic England, 2005, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE), 1463124 (Digital Archive). SCH9076.

A Second World War heavy anti aircraft battery and associated military camp and pillboxes are visible as structures on air photographs. It was armed with two 3.7-inch guns in 1942, and was retained as an Off-Site Nucleus Force Battery in 1946. Some elements of the battery are still extant on the latest 1992 Ordnance Survey vertical photography.