Inverallochy Battle HQ

Battle HQ

A concrete Battle HQ can be found in a field off the coast near Inverallochy, and would have been used in the defence of Fraserburgh Airfield in the event of an airborne invasion.

Further features can be found in the surrounding ground, largely hidden by vegetation. The hillside is believed to house further underground features, including an underground tunnel to the Battle HQ, accessed by protective trenches, but this could not be verified at the time of the visit. This particular one is also shown on the current OS 1:2500 scale digital map, which matches our GPS fix.

The Battle HQ is not visible from the road, being located on the opposite side of a low hill, and facing seaward. There is no general access to the interior, as the entrances have been blocked by earth. Viewed through the gun slot, the interior condition appears to be relatively original and undamaged. The original entrance appears to lie in a trench some way away from the cupola, and would have provided access through an underground tunnel, but this was overgrown, and no detail could be seen. When constructed, the the structure would have been buried deeper than it now appears, as surrounding earthworks have been eroded by the weather.

Across the road, to the west of this structure, the remains of Inverallochy RAF Camp can be found. This would have served Fraserburgh Airfield, which was located a short distance southeast of this location.

Exit

The view of the exit was taken through the broken manhole cover which can be seen to the left of the cupola - this was for emergency use only, not normal use.

Battle HQ

Battle HQs were designed to provide a command centre for airfield defence in the event of an airborne invasion, when airfields were considered to be vulnerable to attack by enemy paratroopers or bombing. This was seen in the summer of 1941, when Germans forces carried out an airborne invasion of Crete, notable for being the first time such an attack was ever carried.

Battle HQs were built to one of three standard patterns. One was confined to London, another to non-permanent fighter stations, and a third to bomber stations. After 1942, the third design was generally adopted by all RAF commands.

This design consisted of a network of five underground rooms entered by steps at one end leading down into a lobby. Straight ahead was a latrine and to the left the office. Passing through the office there was a door in front to the sleeping quarters and a door to the right into mess room. A door on the right hand corner of the mess room led to the emergency escape ladder and from the bottom of the ladder there were three steps up to an observation cupola which was built 3 feet higher than the other rooms. The cupola was 6 feet square and projected 3 feet above the ground with a thick re-enforced roof and at ground level, a 2 inch wide observation slit running all the way around to allow the Local Defence Officer a 360 degree view.

They would generally have been located on the highest point of the land, outside the airfield perimeter if necessary, and would only have been occupied in the event of an actual attack, in which case they would have been used to coordinate the defence of the airfield.

The building would normally have been covered by earth, but the effects of weather and erosion means they are becoming increasingly visible.