Monument record LCS 108 - Two World War II coastal strongpoints and practice trenches .

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Summary

Two World War II coastal strongpoints and practice trenches in Leiston parish

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 47467 63443 (96m by 278m)
Map sheet TM46SE
Civil Parish LEISTON, SUFFOLK COASTAL, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

Two World War II strongpoints and an area of practice trenches are visible as structures and earthworks on aerial photographs from 1941, centred on TM47546344. The strongpoints consist of pillboxes located on the higher ground overlooking the beach, surrounded on the landward side by barbed wire entanglements. The pillboxes are situated at TM47516353 and TM47516340, and appear to be disguised in the photographs of 1941 (S1), but are uncovered in later photographs. The northernmost of the two pillboxes is located at the southern end of a line of anti-tank cubes, which forms a component of the anti-invasion beach defences (see LCS 122). In 1943 aerial photography, the area between the two strongpoints has been used for the digging of five zig-zag practice trenches of roughly 80-100m length (S2). At some point between 1943 and 1945, probably berween June and November 1944, a DIVER site was constructed at Sizewell (see LCS 106), and at this time the barbed wire defences of this area were reorganised, probably incorperating the strongpoints into the DIVER sites defences. The pillboxes have been removed by 1955, but the practice trenches continue to appear on aerial photographs until 1958 (S3). The trenches were probably destroyed during the construction of Sizewell power (S4).

Sources/Archives (5)

  • <S1> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 2A/BR167 21-22 17-Dec-1941.
  • <S2> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF AC/165 5078 04-Jan-1943.
  • <S3> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 58/1674 202-203 04-Mar-1955.
  • <S4> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 58/2378 117-118 28-Feb-1958.
  • <S5> Photograph: OS, AP. NMR OS/68144 47-48 31-May-1968.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Aug 12 2013 2:56PM

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