2014
TQ8542 : Pickett Hamilton Fort at Headcorn Airfield
taken 10 years ago, 3 km from Headcorn, Kent, England
Pickett Hamilton Fort at Headcorn Airfield
The need to defend airfields presented special problems. Airfields were large open areas where any above-ground structure would present a hazard to aircraft. One solution was the Pickett-Hamilton Fort, this was designed to be lowered to ground level while aircraft were operating, but to be raised when necessary by means of a hydraulic mechanism. The fort was manned by a crew of two with light machine guns. Access was provided by means of a hatch in the roof. The forts were prone to flooding and they were not sufficiently strong to bear the weight of the heavy aircraft developed during the war. 48 examples of this type remain extant but a number of these are no longer in their original locations.
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