Monument record FEX 232 - World War II practice trenches and earthworks to the north of Landguard Fort.

A variety of World War II trenches are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1944 onwards, centred on TM 28553224 to the north of Landguard Fort, Felixstowe. The majority of these trench features were excavated between 18th April 1944 and 6th July 1944. The longest trench, which bounds the lower half of the site, was, however, constructed before April 1944. It runs from TM 28603214 to TM 28493229 for roughly 270m in an irregular zigzag pattern. To the south and east of this trench around fifty small trenches were constructed between April and June 1944. They vary in size, measuring anything from 2.5m to 15m in length and also vary in shape, being linear, v-shaped or w-shaped. Around 80m to the north of the longer trench and also to the north of the barbed wire anti-invasion defences, another set of trenches are visible, centred on TM 28543233. These were also constructed sometime between 18th April and 6th July 1944 but are much larger, up to 4m by 20m in size, and rectangular. There are seven of these trenches. Two concrete structures are also visible within the two areas of trenches, one at TM 28453231 and one at TM 28543219. They both appear to be square open-roofed structures but their function is unclear. (S1) (S2) (S3) It is likely that the appearance of both sets of trenches between 18th April and 6th July 1944 is related to the influx of troops into the fort prior to embarkation for the second wave of D-Day landings that departed from Landguard. The trenches to the south appear to be simple slit practice trenches but the ones to the north may have been designed in order that the troops could practice tank or landing craft manoeuvres. (S4)