On December 16, 1941, during the war, Mount Davis Battery suffered one of its most intense bombardments. As recounted in the wartime diary of RSM E. C. Ford—featured on Philip Cracknell's Military History Blog—a dud shell pierced through the bunker overhead, tearing through the reinforced wall of the Battery Plotting Room and wreaking havoc across the underground compound before finally coming to rest inside the telephone exchange room without exploding.
These photos capture structural damage that might possibly have been caused by that shell:
Inside the Battery Plotting Room, showing the blown-out wall and pile of earth and rubble where the shell likely tore through the underground compound.
This could be the telephone exchange room based on its layout, with the wall blown open in the far corner where the unexploded shell likely passed through and landed.
Mount Davis Battery Telephone Exchange Room, by Freddie
Faded signage is also visible on the right wall, though it is very hard to read, especially the first line. My wild guess is that it reads "HOIST MUST NOT BE LOWERED UNTIL HOOK ABOVE IS RELEASED," which could suggest an overhead hoist was present in the room. Feel free to chime in if anyone has a clearer read of the lettering!
Mount Davis Battery Telephone Exchange Room Wall Signage, by Freddie
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Shell Damage at the Battery Plotting Room
On December 16, 1941, during the war, Mount Davis Battery suffered one of its most intense bombardments. As recounted in the wartime diary of RSM E. C. Ford—featured on Philip Cracknell's Military History Blog—a dud shell pierced through the bunker overhead, tearing through the reinforced wall of the Battery Plotting Room and wreaking havoc across the underground compound before finally coming to rest inside the telephone exchange room without exploding.
These photos capture structural damage that might possibly have been caused by that shell:
Inside the Battery Plotting Room, showing the blown-out wall and pile of earth and rubble where the shell likely tore through the underground compound.
This could be the telephone exchange room based on its layout, with the wall blown open in the far corner where the unexploded shell likely passed through and landed.
Faded signage is also visible on the right wall, though it is very hard to read, especially the first line. My wild guess is that it reads "HOIST MUST NOT BE LOWERED UNTIL HOOK ABOVE IS RELEASED," which could suggest an overhead hoist was present in the room. Feel free to chime in if anyone has a clearer read of the lettering!