A N A P O L E O N I C W A R V E T E R A N
ALSO F O U G H T H I T L E R
B u i l t as a bastion against Napoleon's t h r e a t e n e d i n v a s i o n
and u s e d as a n observation p o s t i n t h e r e c e n t w a r, t h i s
M a r t e l l ° To w e r i s t o be preserved b y Folkestone C o u n c i l .
The d e c i s i o n o f F o l k e s t o n e C o r p o r a t i o n t o r e t a i n a s a
b u i l d i n g o f " h i s t o r i c i n t e r e s t , " a M a r t e l lo tower, a t t h e western
end o f t h e Leas, a t Folkestone. recalls t h a t t h e t o w e r was o n e
of t h e c h i e f R o y a l O b s e r v e r C o r p s p o s t s o n t h e S o u t h E a s t
coast d u r i n g t h e w a r.
The t o w e r o v e r l o o k s t h e C h a n n e l a n d g i v e s a n u n i n t e r -
r u p t e d v i e w f r o m j u s t w e s t o f D o v e r t o Dungeness, a n d , o n
a c l e a r d a y, as f a r as Rye.
I n m i d - F e b r u a r y, 1940, t h e t o w e r was m a n n e d f o r t h e f i r s t
time b y m e m b e r s o f t h e R o y a l Observer Corps, r e c r u i t e d f r o m
Folkestone residents.
THE F I R S T A L A R M
F r o m t h a t d a y i n F e b r u a r y u n t i l t h e s u m m e r o f t h i s
year t h e p o s t w a s m a n n e d c o n t i n u o u s l y d a y a n d n i g h t .
The f i r s t L u f t w a f f e f o r m a t i o n s t o cross t h e C h a n n e l w e r e
sighted f r o m t h e t o w e r a n d t h e a l a r m given.
I n t h o s e e a r l y s u m m e r days o f 1940, before t h e " B a t t l e o f
B r i t a i n " started, t h e observers saw one a t t a c k a f t e r a n o t h e r o n
our convoys a s t h e y sailed t h r o u g h t h e n a r r o w S t r a i t s .
They w a t c h e d e x c i t i n g a i r b a t t l e s overhead, a n d t h e y s a w
the l i t t l e s h i p s b o m b e d a n d s o m e t i m e s s u n k .
Later, w h e n t h e N a z i s resorted t o h i t - a n d - r u n r a i d s a l o n g
the S o u t h - E a s t C o a s t , a s p e c i a l a l a r m s y s t e m w a s o p e r a t e d
f r o m t h e t o w e r t o w a r n Folkestone people t h a t e n e m y a i r c r a f t
were i n t h e i m m e d i a t e v i c i n i t y.
GUIDED R.A.F. P I L O T S
A s y s t e m o f f i r i n g r o c k e t s was also used t o g i v e i m m e d i a t e
alarm o f l o w - f l y i n g raiders, a n d rockets were also u s e d t o h e l p
and g u i d e R A , F. f i g h t e r p i l o t s t o t h e i r t a r g e t d u r i n g t h e f l y i n g
bomb attacks.
T h e watchers h a d a good m a n y n a r r o w escapes f r o m b o m b -
ing a n d m a c h i n e - g u n n i n g , a n d d u r i n g t h e f l y i n g - b o m b a c t i v i t y
m a n y o f t h e missies were s h o t d o w n i n t o t h e sea i m m e d i a t e l y
i n f r o n t o f t h e t o w e r.
The t o w e r w a s also e x c e l l e n t l y s i t u a t e d f o r observing t h e
flashes o f t h e G e r m a n s ' l o n g r a n g e g u n s o n t h e F r e n c h c o a s t
at Calais, C a p G r i s n e z a n d n e a r Boulogne.
TELL-TELL FLASHES
The s p o t t i n g o f a flash m e a n t t h a t w i t h i n a b o u t 90 seconds
an e n e m y s h e l l w o u l d b e b u r s t i n g somewhere o n t h i s s i d e o f
the S t r a i t s .
The Observers, a s w e l l a s p l a y i n g s u c h a v a l u a b l e p a r t
In p l o t t i n g e n e m y a i r c r a f t a n d " d o o d l e - b u g s , " a l s o h e l p e d
crippled R . A . F. b o m b e r s r e t u r n i n g across t h e C h a n n e l f r o m
the C o n t i n e n t t o get home.
The t o w e r i s One o f a n u m b e r i n t h e F o l k e s t o n e d i s t r i c t
w h i c h w e r e b u i l t a t a t i m e w h e n N a p o l e o n ' s G r a n d A r m y
was m a s s i n g o n t h e o t h e r s i d e o f t h e C h a n n e l t o i n v a d e
B r i t a i n i n t h e e a r l y 1 9 t h c e n t u r y.
I t i s i n a n excellent s t a t e o f preservation.
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