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TIMARU COASTAL DEFENCE BATTERY

85 Battery, 11 (Heavy) Coast Regiment NZA  Timaru 1942 - 1944

TIMARU HARBOUR DEFENCE BATTERY, SMITHFIELD
ANTI TANK DITCH Seadown
PUBLIC AIR RAID SHELTERS Turnbull Street
ARMY AMMUNITION DEPOT Fairlie

 

TIMARU HARBOUR DEFENCE BATTERY, SMITHFIELD
A view of the two gun battery position looking from the harbour side.	The gun shelters (Colchester type) looking from the northern side		No 1 gun shelter, now converted into a water storage tank		No 2 gun shelter, now used for storage, the gun pedestal still visible
TIMARU BATTERY OBSERVATION POST (BOP)
Three views of the Timaru battery cliff top Observation Post
THE BATTERY MAGAZINE
The Battery Magazine is just through the gate near the truck wash and like No1 gun is now also a reservoir

History of Timaru Coastal Defences: Fort Record Book TIMARU 85 Heavy Battery NZA Located on the property of th NZ Refrigirating Co Ltd (Now Smithfield Alliance Group Ltd) To Download Battery Plan (1944) Guns: Two 6" BL Wire Mark VII Naval guns fitted with auto sights (sights manufactured by Dept of Scientific Research) Mounting:  P111 Gun Nos: 1506 & 2095 No 1 gun mounted (1506) 16 July 1942. Shifted to no 2 gun position 5 Nov 1942. Second gun (2095) mounted in No1 gun possition 11 Feb 1943 Max Range: 14000 yds Effective Range: 10000 yds Gun crew: 10  Proofing 3 rds each gun full charge 24 rds each & half charge Magazine Stocktake (May 1943)  Shell: BL 6" MkXXVII HE (TNT) 516 rds            BL 6" Practice 260 (101 lb approx) Cartridge: BL 6" Cordite  1400brds Fuzes: 200 Per cussion tubes: 227 Gun first line: (in lockers)  140 rds HE plus 10 smoke Time of flight: 37 seconds for max range of 14300 yds Range Finder Bar & Stroud Rangefinder 9'  Small Arms LMG BREN MkI x1  (1 x tripod) Pistol Revolver Tranter .455 Rifle .303 No I MIII* w/bayonets SAA Ammo 7000 rds .303 ball 24 rds .455 pistol No AA defences ROLE Anti invasion & denial of the Port of Timaru to the enemy Secondry role: mine disposal HISTORY Approved: 21 May 1942 Construction Commenced: 3 July 1942 Gun mounted: July 1942 Manned: 1 Offr & 20 OR's 16 July 1942 Establishment: 2 Ofr & 42 OR's Operational: 16 July 1942 (Camp construction commenced 8 Aug 1942, completed Oct 1942.) Reverted to care and Maintenance: Oct 1943 All operations of Care & Maintenance ceased in August 1944 Guns removed: 8 Feb 1945 Authors Note: No 2 gun shelter probably would be the best and most intact gun shelter of the Colchester type I have seen, probably because of its location. It has been subject to no vandalism and is completely intact.  Considering its 60+ years it looks remarkably new. NZ Archives CAWQ Ch540 3.11 Fort Record Book Heavy Battery NZA Timaru   Status & Access: The Battery is largely intact but on private property. Permission should be sought from Smithfield Alliance Group to gain access. The BOP is accessible via the public beachfront walkway off Smithfield Road. The camp no longer exists but some sign remains. References: ** Archives NZ Fort Record Book 85th Coast Battery NZA  CAWQ CH540 3.11 Timaru   ANTI TANK DITCH Seadown Looking along the line of the anti tank ditch. Looking north towards Temuka and some remains of the original anti tank ditch. Looking south along the line of the anti tank ditch. The stop bank is a modern drainage ditch Status & Access: Very little sign remains of the original ditch. Access is via Beach Road from Seadown. PUBLIC AIR RAID SHELTERS Turnbull Street The remains of the public air raid shelters dug into the clay cliff on Turnbull Street opposite the railway station. Status & Access: Access is denied but can be view from the footpath directly behind the Railway Station.

ARMY AMMUNITION DEPOT Fairlie (Photos Sep 07)
Ammo Depot Office	APB (Ammunition Proof Building)	Ammunition Magazines
Status & Access: Fairlie Ammunition Depot is on private land and permission to visit must be obtained from the landowners to visit.

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