Site Records

Site Name: Old Woking Heavy Anti Aircraft (HAA) Battery

Broadmead Road
Old Woking, Surrey
OS Grid Ref: TQ021566

Sub Brit site visit February 1998

The Old Woking Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery (BM5) serving the Brooklands Gun Defended Area (GDA) was located between Broadmead Road and the River Wey at Old Woking.

The only surviving structure, located alongside a footpath is the battery command post which is in good condition. The gun pits in the adjacent field have all been filled in and there is no trace of any other buildings.

Official records for 1942 state that the battery was equipped with 4 X 3.7" mobile anti aircraft guns operated by 344 battery of 109 HAA regiment. Mobile guns were not permanently emplaced with a holdfast but were on wheels and axles and were the anti aircraft equipment of the field army. All the equipment could have been removed from the site within 30 minutes. There was no radar at this site. This regiment later landed in France on D Day as part of 30 Corps and fought to Germany.

3.7" mobile gun. Photo by Bob Jenner

There were six HAA gun sites in the Brooklands GDA of which three sites never had any guns emplaced.

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