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Lyrawa Hill & Scad Head
The
southern end of the Houton Boom terminated at the bottom of the Lyrawa
cliffs at Scad Head,
and here - because of the commanding view over the western half of
Scapa Flow - in June 1940 a battery of 2 x 12 pounder guns was
installed. They were on temporary mountings, pending the
arrival of Twin 6 pounder equipment which would provide M.T.B (Motor Torpedo
Boat) protection for the boom and Brings Deep’s. By August 1941 the twin 6-pounder was mounted
and ready for action being manned by 141 Coast battery,
Because of
its position a light railway operated by cables was laid down the cliff side,
together with a small jetty to facilitate the re-supply of shells to the
battery.
The Scad
Head gun battery remained operational until the end of the war and was placed in C&M
(Care & Maintenance) until June 1950 when it was abandoned.
Remains still to be seen:
- The gun
emplacement, director tower, engine room and searchlight houses all
survive. There are also fragments of
track and remains of the winding gear from the light-railway, and dumped on the
foreshore are several railway trucks.
Close by the old camp site one of the 12-pounder emplacements survives.
Director Tower
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Remains of Anti-Aircrat Battery
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