Occupation remnants at Westmount

Up at Westmount the easiest occupation relic to spot, from the road, is this position if you look up to the right just before turning left on the way down the hill - this is at the eastern end of the Upper Park, to the west of People's Park.

.. if you head into the park and leave the path it's easy to reach this spot in the top corner. If you can imagine the view without the trees in the way...

.. it's no surprise they chose this spot.

Behind you.

Heading back to the path and westwards, you'll find the Observation Post for Battery Endrass...

.. spot the filled in observation slit surrounded by little recesses (what for, please, anyone?)

Most of the site of Battery Endrass is now in private hands, but this map shows where at least two bunkers can be seen if you venture into the estate.

This shot from "AbductedByBrambles" (thanks!) shows the first bunker on the south side half way along the part of Westmount Court closer to Overdale. There's another farther along but very overlooked by nearby properties so he didn't feel able to take a shot! The part of Westmount Court closer to the bay doesn't have anything obvious visible from the road.

While you're enjoying the park, drink in the wonderful view of a new 'leccy substation under construction (shot from May 2016)



Also on the map, apart my suspected site of a shelter in the grounds of Overdale, note the spot marked "Gone". This was the location of the gallows (see www.theislandwiki.org/) later fortified as a gun position, and deemed unsafe...

.. and demolished in 1988 (photo: JEP)

According to TracesOfWarJersey this was RN Pavilion?

Brief history lesson : Gallows Hill (Mont Patibulaire, or Mont ès Pendus in Jèrriais) was the site of public executions from the 1600s until 1829 when Philippe Jolin was the last convict to be hanged here for a "parricide" (family member) murder, on the 3rd October (see wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Jersey).

More on Batterie Endrass
Designated 4./HKAR.1265 (Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie-Regiment = army coastal regiment) - regiment 1265 - this battery was designed to cover the harbour approach and featured four K331(f) field guns (captured French WW1 10.5cm guns with 5 mile range) as commonly put into service in the islands (wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_de_105_mle_1913_Schneider), in this case removed from their wheels and fixed in position in casemate bunkers. The battery also featured three machine guns (one in a tank turret), two 2cm FLAK guns, a flamethrower, a 90cm searchlight and a minefield covered the hillside park. The northern limit of the battery was along the side of the pitch and stand of a former football ground which is now occupied by some single storey buildings in the south-east part of the Overdale site.


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