Isle of Wight Photo
www.isleofwightphoto.co.uk
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The Needles Battery
1859
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Royal Commission on United Kingdom Defences set-up
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1861 - 63
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Needles Point Battery built, equipped with 7inch Armstrong Rifle breech-loaders in 1864
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1873
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Decision taken to replace original guns with 9inch rifled muzzle-loaders
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1889 - 92
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Needles searchlight experiments. Water-level gun emplacements and tunnels dug
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1893 - 95
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New Needles Battery built higher up the cliff
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1903
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Obsolete 9inch guns thrown over cliff at Old Needles Battery
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1908
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Fire Command Post for area defences built at Old Needles
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1913
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First test of a British anti-aircraft gun takes place at the Old Needles
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1914 - 18
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World War 1. Both sites manned
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1918 - 39
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New Needles Battery in 'Care and Maintenance'
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1939
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World War 2. German aircraft lay mines in sea channel
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1940 - 41
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Admiralty Port War Signal Station built at Old Needles
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1941
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Radar installed on cliff near New Needles
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1943
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New Needles Battery fires twice at German fast torpedo-boats
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1944
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D-Day. Allied invasion fleet passes Needles
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1945
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War ends: the Battery again maintained in reserve
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1954
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New Needles guns scrapped
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1956 - 71
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Headland used as 'Black Night' space-rocket engine testing site
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1975
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National Trust buys the head;land
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1981
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First phase of restoration at Old Needles Battery completed
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All above information Taken from the National Trust Guide Book