Fort Gomer Fort Gomer was one of the Palmerston Forts , in Gosport , England , the southernmost and first - built polygonal land fort in the defence line to the west of Gosport . It was located on land immediately to the west of the present Gomer Lane . Fort Gomer was the most southerly fort in the line of five which formed part of the ‘ Sea Front and Spithead Defences ’ , Inner Line , Land Front , Left Flank . This line of forts was later known as the Gomer - Elson Line or ' Gosport Advanced Line ' This consisted of , from south to north , Fort Gomer , Fort Grange , Fort Rowner , Fort Brockhurst and Fort Elson . An inscription above the main entrance through the barrack block read ` Erected AD 1853 ’ . The fort was almost complete before work began on Fort Elson in 1855 . The estimated cost of Fort Gomer was £92 , 000 in 1869 . Construction and layout . Fort Gomer was constructed between 1853 and 1858 and as such it was the first of the Polygonal land forts based on the Prussian System of mutual defence . It was unique and an example of early attempts to break away from the old bastioned system of fortification . Fort Gomer had a wet moat surrounding it and provision was made to further hinder the enemy by flooding the ground in front of the rampart . It was nearly 500 feet wide and 800 feet long , its rear faced east and consisted of a defensible barracks , built in the shape of a shallow V . Two spiral staircases gave access to the roof of the barrack block . There is a possibility that the intention was to mount guns on the roof of the barrack , using it as a cavalier , but this was never done . Mortars were to be mounted on the central parade . on the ramparts between the gun emplacements were ten expense magazines for the storage of ready use ammunition for the guns . A main magazine were situated at each end of the barrack block . Two bastionettes at the northwest and southwest corners of the west ditch provided musketry fire along the north and south branches of the ditch . Two tunnels led from the parade through the thickness of the west rampart to the west ditch in order to provide flanking fire across the faces of the rampart . Barrack block . In 1861 accommodation was provided in the barrack block for 1 field officer , 10 officers , 2 NCOs , 332 privates with 1 master gunner , 1 barrack sergeant , 1 hospital sergeant , 5 servants . Also provided was a hospital for 8 patients and its own kitchen . By 1893 this had been re - appropriated for 1 Field Officer , 7 officers , 2 unmarried NCOs and 310 gunners with separate accommodation for 4 married NCOs and men . Armament . The main armament of the fort was placed on two west facing earth bastions with a central curtain providing more guns firing through embrasures . Flanking fire for ditch defence was provided for musketry only . Two bastionettes were placed on the far side of the wet ditch , one at each shoulder . Two more flanking galleries fired across the faces of the curtain and bastions . The plans of 1862 list the armament of Fort Gomer as : 9 x 68 - pdr . 95cwt guns , 5 x 10 - inch 85cwt guns , 7 x 8 - inch 65cwt guns , 9 x 32 - pdr . guns and 2 x 13 - inch mortars . By 1872 it was proposed to withdraw most of the S . B . guns and providetwenty 7 - inch R . M . L . s . In 1886 the armament mounted appears to be twenty 7 - inch R . M . L . s and two 13 - inch mortars . It was then proposed to change this to eleven 7 - inch R . B . L . s with six 64 - pdr . R . M . L . s and two 13 - inch mortars . The fort was modified early on to remedy shortcomings in its method of mounting guns , barbette positions being substituted for some of the embrasures on the flanks . In 1891 the mounted armament was : North Bastion 64pr 58cwt RML guns 5 and 6 South Bastion 64pr 58cwt RML guns 9 , 10 and 11 Right Face 7 - inc RBL guns 1 , 2 & 3 Curtain 7 inch RBL guns 7 & 8 Left Face 7 - inch RBL guns 12 , 13 and 14 The fort in use . Throughout the Victorian period the fort was used mainly as barracks and as a training establishment . It was disarmed in 1901 . It then briefly saw service as a training facility once more in preparing troops for the Boer War and the First World War trenches . The 3rd . Field Training Regiment was stationed at the fort during 1939 . A Canadian unit , The Fort Garry Horse occupied the Fort in 1943 / 4 with its A and Headquarters Squadron for Amphibious assault training . The 1st Hussars ( 6th Armoured Regiment ) moved to Fort Gomer on 4 March 1944 in preparation for the D - Day landings . The 7th . Royal Tank Regiment was based at the fort in the 1950s , leaving in 1953 . Briefly in 1953 the fort was occupied by the RAOC Boys Training School and the fort was eventually released in 1964 . It was sold at auction for £169 , 000 and a Fareham firm demolished it to provide land for housing . Nothing of it remains .