Barrett Point

Barrett Point coastal fort is located at the foot of Mount Hayes at the entrance to Prince Rupert Harbour at 54.24111°N, -130.33389°W

History
The city of Prince Rupert was the nearest railhead to the Alaska and was strategically important to the defence of Alaska and West Coast of Canada. Barrett point battery was the key component of the defences of Prince Rupert in World War II. In 1938 Major Treatt of the Canada War Department, inspected the West Coast of Canada and determined suitable locations for Coastal defences. Barrett Point became the focal point of the defences that included gun batteries at Fredrick Pt, Casey Pt, Fairview Pt and Dundas Pt. The fort had 3 gun positions which were first equipped with Mk 12 6” anti-aircraft guns on Mk 7 mounts, later replaced by 3x 6” Mk 24 guns two on Mk5 mounts and one on a Mk5 mount. In addition a 6 pounder Hotchkiss quick firing gun was mounted, as well as 2x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. The guns of this fort and the others were controlled by a director station behind and above the centre gun position. Ammunition was stored in an underground magazine accessed by an electrical hoist for each gun. Behind the main battery protected by the hill was hardened generator room and other support buildings. Two searchlight towers front the fort along the shoreline. Bearings from these lights would be fed to the director for fire control. An observation post was established above the fort on top of Mt Hayes.

The guns were manned by the Northern British Columbia heavy battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, later designated the 102nd Coast Battery of the 17th North British Columbia Coast Regiment. It’s unclear as to when the battery ceased operations, as war progressed and the threat of attacked diminished, the soldiers manning the defences were drawn down to serve elsewhere. It would appear the guns were removed some time between Sept 1945 and the end of 1946. The last Coastal defences along the West Coast of Canada at Fort Rodd hill were disbanded in 1958.

Today
Much of the Battery fortifications are overgrown but can be seen on foot. Caution is advised as there are unmarked openings and entering the bunker should only be done with the proper equipment.



Other major military installations in Prince Rupert
Fredrick Point (twin QF 12pdr)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QF_12_pounder_12_cwt_naval_gun

Casey Point (2x25pdr)

Fairview Point (2x 8" railway guns) ''"A late and important addition to Prince Rupert's coast defences was the joint Canadian-US enterprise at Fairview Point, a mile south of the city limits. The establishment of an American Sub-Port of Embarkation with extensive docking facilities at Price Rupert, and a large staging camp at Port Edward, on the mainland ten miles by road and rail from the city, intensified Washington's concern about the security of the area, particularly having in mind the limited range of the "Interim" counter-bombardment 6-inch battery at Fort Barrett. Early in 1942 the United States made available, to supplement the Barrett battery, two more 8-inch railway guns, similar to those already installed at Christopher Point. On arrival at Prince Rupert the guns were run out to Fairview Point on spurs hurriedly built from the main CNR line, and were solidily braced on positions under which vast quantities of rock had been sunk into the muskeg. Much of the work of constructing roads, bridges and railway spurs in preparation for the big guns was done by members o the 9th Heavy Battery RCA, who had been manning mobile 8-inch howitzers at Porter's Lake near Halifax. Arriving at Fairview on 26 March 1942, they took up temporary residence in refitted railway cars near their new home, and by 9 April they reported the guns capable of firing in an emergency. When the Japanese attacked the Aleutians on 3 June, both guns wwere still in the process of being settled in their new positions. Late next day, however, No 2 gun was ready for action."'' From: Gunners of Canada Vol 2 pgs 469 & 476 via Tanknet CDSG Journal May 2000 has an article on "Prince Rupert Defenses 1938-45" by David Morgan with following info on these guns pp18–19 via Tanknet: the Canadian Army received(so operated by them, if not clear already) "Fairview Battery: counter bombardment. Two US 8-inch M1888 railway guns with associated ammunition and fire control cars, became operational in early June 1942. One 20mm LAA and 2 40mm LAA guns. The battery was built on a rail spur off the CNR mainline. The guns were left mounted on the railway cars and had 360 deg arcs of fire. Both guns were ready for action in early June 1942. Digby Island to the west masked the battery's view of the open water to Chatham Sound, so Fairview was not fitted with search lights, being designated a 'day fort'. It had two horizontal base lines of 5,000 yards each and employed a Whistler-Hearn plotting board. The battery was removed from an operational role April 28, 1945. The author has been unable to locate any trace of this battery or any photos associated with it."

Bella Bella

Two 75mm guns and an anti-aircraft to protect the seaplane base

Dundas Pt

Seal Cove (Seaplane base)

Watson Island (Ammunition Depot)

Hospital

Ocean Dock (Stores Warehouse)

Command post

Other Coastal defence forts on the West Coast


Yorke Island coastal defence fort 50.44917°N, -125.97639°W

Fort Rodd Hill

Alberthead

Mary Hill

Duntze Head

McCaulay Point 48.41806°N, -123.40917°W

3 gun fort dating back to 1895

Pt Grey 49.26944°N, -123.25972°W

3 6" guns and Director tower, now the Museum of Anthropology, although one gun position and tunnel entrances remain.

Stanley Park, Ferguson Point 49.30083°N, -123.15778°W

First Narrows Gantry 49.31833°N, -123.13639°W

Two 12pdr QF guns. Demolished in the 70's nothing remaining

Steveston

One 18pdr field gun, later replaced by two 25pdr field guns Ordnance QF 25 pounder