ARTILLERY SHELTER (OP 15) ON NORTH OCKMENT HILL

The military had used Dartmoor for manoeuvres for many years. Okehampton Camp was established in 1875 to provide a permanent site for artillery training. In the early 1900s about 20 Splinter Proofs (SPs) were constructed to protect soldiers pulling up targets. The shelters were also used as observation posts (OPs), providing protection for the forward observation officers directing artillery fire onto the targets. Okement Hill, which is 5 km from the Camp is the site of OP15, one of the most well-known. This glass plate appears to show OP 15 under construction in 1923. On completion, a 5 ft wall was constructed in the front with metal rung steps inside and a telephone point. A metal bar on top of the wall could have been used as roller for the ropes that were used for pulling up the targets. OP15 is often used a starting point for a walk to Cranmere Pool. TC 040521