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Dummy Gun - North
Robben Island, Western Cape
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | Dummy Guns, Robben Island See South Dummy Gun. Two ‘dummy guns’ are sited on the north-west side of Robben Island, on a gently sloping open plain overlooking the western coast and seaward approach to the Island. Both ‘dummy guns’ are in an incomplete and dilapidated condition, but the general layout and construction is still clearly visible. The ‘dummy guns’ each had a central, tapered reinforced concrete support post. A semi-circular steel rail was set flush in the concrete floor at the rear of the installation with the centre point of the semi-circle co-incident with the central support post. A ‘gun barrel’ (probably a length of 3” [76mm] steam pipe) was provided with a rectangular concrete counterweight on the landward side. The pipe ‘gun barrel' protruded from the inner face of the counterweight. A short steel rod protruded on the outer face and was probably attached to the mechanism used to train and elevate the ‘gun barrel’ - on the assumption that it could be elevated as well as trained. When in use the counterweight block would have been set with the long face horizontal but about 1 200 mm above the floor. The counterweight would presumably have been cast on the ground and lifted into place. The concrete counterweight to the north ‘dummy gun’ has the names of two SA Engineering Corp members scratched into the narrower end face of the concrete counterweight - confirming their involvement in the project in 1942: CPL J DUFFIN It is surmised that each ‘gun barrel’ would have stuck out of a dummy housing and would have been set up as to allow for elevation (using the counterweight) and training (using the rail). A persistent observer would have noticed movement such as would be found on a real gun. It is also more than likely that the 3" pipe would have been a former and support for something bulkier. General Dunbar Moodie - who was on Robben Island as Coastal Artillery and later Anti-Aircraft during WWII - was apparently adamant that no attempt had been made to install dummy guns. However the evidence on the ground certainly contradicts this. Acknowledgement: The assistance of Chris Dooner (ex SA Navy) in documenting and describing the Dummy guns is acknowledged with grateful thanks. William Martinson, Osmond Lange Architects, March 2021 Reference: |