[Minsterboy]

From the photo-copied article I mentioned earlier, there is also the statement with reference to smuggling - " no less than three watch vessels came to be stationed at local sea entrances - the Cadmus, Castle Coote and Beresford. There was a Coastguard Station on the road to Harty Ferry".

[kyn]

   Thanks again, the link worked.  I hope you remember where you read about it!

[davpott]

Hopefully the battery is indicated on this map.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=214447609140423283880.0004d4aa8684de274162f&msa=0&ll=51.340401,0.889699&spn=0.002694,0.006968

I've (hopefully) also indicated the approximate location of a Coast Guard hulk that was moored just off the creek. Presumably the Coast Guard Cottages were built to replace the hulk and the battery constructed to replace the customs vessel stationed on the Swale near the head of the creek.

I read about this recently. I'll try and remember where over the weekend.

[kyn]

Thank you so much

[davpott]

Thank you for your suggestions Minsterboy, it is a shame not much of the surrounding area can be seen.  I have no information about a battery here at all I don't think.

It's in the field behind the coast guard cottages on the Harty Ferry road from Oare.

If you follow the road from Oare the cottages are the last buildings on the right before the marshes and the ferry. I'll try and fix it on GE later. 

[kyn]

Thank you for your suggestions Minsterboy, it is a shame not much of the surrounding area can be seen.  I have no information about a battery here at all I don't think.

[Minsterboy]

I imagine that the photo would have been taken at Harty on the mainland side of The Swale. Interesting to see the large gun also in the photo because at one time, I believe in the late 1800's early 1900's, there used to be an exercise known as "Firing the Shot" which took place periodically at Harty Ferry. Apparently a posse of soldiers marched smartly out to the Harty Ferry, manned guns and fired them, watched carefully by officers. Possibly this was the reason for the soldiers in the photo.

Also, in July 1910, 300 Kent Territorial Royal Engineers from Ashford, Chatham and Tonbridge were encamped in bell tents near the road to Harty Ferry, together with 120 Regulars from Chatham. They had the job of making a bridge over The Swale  from the Faversham side to Sheppey to facilitate the passage of troops.

I found both of these snippets from a Bygone Kent article that had been photo-copied and put into a Harty file in Sheerness library, it included a photograph of the bridge building in progress.

[kyn]

Very grateful thanks go to Ron Clayton for forwarding this photograph for us to see.  Here are the details he sent with the image:

It is marked "The K.A. Volunteers At Harty Battery in 1850" and in the corner "W. Hargrave Photo Faversham".
 
There are two possible origins of the photograph:
 
1. It may have been presented to William Thomas Hunter who was a Quarter Master Sergeant when he retired from service on 9th April 1850 at age 51.
 
2. His eldest daughter Ellen Sarah Hunter married William Brown, a Bombardier RHA in 1843. He had joined the 1 Horse Artillery in 1833 and according to his records retired in 1854 at age 39 after 21 years 4 months service. He would also have been a Sergeant Major and Quarter Master Sergeant at the time of the photograph having held that rank for 5 years and 2 months.

Whoever it is was probably standing third from the right as the photo seems to have been deliberately posed for him.
It would be interesting to know if the location of the battery can still be identified.

If anyone has any further information I would be very interested in hearing it, and I will ensure it is forwarded to Ron.