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n the 1930's the Dengie 100 was still a quiet backwater of rural life but on 3 September 1939 life changed as it became part of the front line for World War 2. In response to concern about bombing the Home Office offered the following guidance to the rural parishes:- Each parish should depend upon 1/ A Police Constable with protective clothing 2/ Two or three volunteer Special Constables 3/ Three air raid wardens for each 500 people of the population 4/ A first aid post 5/ Voluntary help from the men of the village 6/ The trained sense of the village Photo copyright Peter Layzell 1944 - Victory Photograph of Burnham Police The Regular Officers are led by Inspector Rose The Specials include Tubby Barker and the far left and Albie Rice 2nd from right at rear.
In 1939 the police station at Southminster became the nerve centre of local operations protected by an ack-ack post sited at Pump Mead Close, Southminster. From July 1940 the entire Dengie 100 became an Army base with passes required to get in an out as it was felt that the Dengie would be a likely invasion point. A Local Defence Force was formed which later became the Home Guard . The local headquarters of the LDF was sited in Devonshire Road in the shop which is currently Busy Bees. Reinforced pill boxes were sited at intervals with barbed wire, land mines and anti landing posted sited all the way along the coast. A command post was built at Holiwell Point, Burnham with accommodation for over 20 men. A floating defence boom was sited across the entrance to the Crouch to deter German craft.
The Maritime traditions were put to good use with Motor Torpedo bases established in the River Blackwater at Osea Island and in the River Crouch at Burnham. The Royal Navy took over the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club as its Headquarters. Across the bay from Bradwell the centre of mine sweeping operations for the coastline was established at Brightlingsea. In 1940 Burnham boats Seasalter, Ma Joie and Vanguard were amongst those who crossed to Dunkirk to take off the army of the BEF. In 1943 the Navy opened HMS St Matthew which was a Combined Operations training base at Burnham-on-Crouch.
Special Forces were based at Burnham for a short while to use the River Crouch as training for their part in a daring mission to Capture German General Rommell. Despite the tough training of swimming in the Crouch in full kit the mission proved a failure.
As the war progressed enemy aircraft overhead became a familiar sound with bombers using the Rivers as navigations aids before turning to other locations inland. In 1940 alone air raid warning sirens sounded on 326 occasions. Sometimes land mines or bombs, left unused at the main target, were dropped by German aircraft over Dengie. Most of these exploded harmlessly in the fields although a few damaged houses as was the case with a land mine that exploded in North Street, Southminster killing 3 people and another that destroyed 20 houses in Princes Road, Burnham. In 1941 a Heinkel was badly damaged but the rear gunner manages to parachute from the plane . His luck changed when his parachute only partly opened and he was injured on landing at Althorne. Although badly injured he staggered to the door of a nearby cottage and knocked on the door. The occupier, Mrs Margaret Windridge opened the door to be confronted by a blood stained German waving a pistol in the air. Fortunately she realised that he was surrendering his pistol and dresses his wounds before he was collected by a local military escort. Fatal casualties included 63 year old merchant seaman, Albert Amos of Silver Road, Burnham on Crouch who was killed in the River Crouch on 10 July 1941 and Robin Chandler( 9 years) David Harold Clark ( 5 years) and Walter Stanley Hillier(47 years) who were killed when a land mine hit their respective houses at 11-13 North Street, Southminster on 25 September 1940. Further casualties were Mrs Gladys Cundy,Mrs Nellie Bigmore and Miss Sheila Bigmore who were killed when a land mine landed in Princes Road, Burnham on Crouch in 1942.
Some of the bombs were deliberately invited from 1942 by the Nore Naval Command after the construction of a bombing decoy site at Mayland on the extreme northern promontory of open grassland overlooking Lawlinge Creek. The site was used in 1944 to imitate the night time lights of D day invasion yards. By 1946 the site had returned to open grassland.
In 1930 a small airfield was established to service aircraft using the offshore sand banks for target practice. In 1941 Bradwell Bay was enlarged into a full airfield and was used as a fighter base for the remainder of the war. Bradwell was one of only 15 airfields to be fitted with fog dispersal equipment. By 1946 Bradwell was closed as a military airfield although it was used by the Americans as a base for a fast range launch at Bradwell waterside for few years. Plans to turn Bradwell into a civil airport were dropped due to the poor communications to the area from London. On the site of Bradwell Airfield stands a monument to those who lost their lives in WW2 when flying from the airfield. The control tower and some of the hangers still remain on the site.
The Crouch Valley Railway Line was an important resource bringing in equipment for Bradwell Bay or the other units and of course evacuees escaping the blitz in London. Attacks on training and stations became a common occurrence with the lady booking clerk at Southminster Station being shot in the arm and a floating mine narrowly missing Southminster Station exploding behind nearly houses at Station Road, Southminster.
16th June 1944 saw an new threat when Bradwell-on-Sea saw the first V1 doodle bug to be launched at Britain. Residents head a loud buzzing sound and saw a cigar shaped object with a tail of pink flame flying overhead. Fortunately for Bradwell although many more doodle bugs passed overhead only one fell on the village and that fell on the seawall. Other parts of the district were also to become accustomed to see doodle bugs and their successors the V2 rocket two of which fell close to Creeksea Place Camp. The doodle bugs provide sport for the Tempests from Bradwell Bay who shot down many doodle bugs during July and August 1944.
The area played an important part in the Invasion of France with 32 landing craft based in the Crouch. A naval base was established at Creeksea Place, Burnham where 700 men were trained to use the landing craft.
During the War many vantage points were used to watch out for enemy aircraft and an invasion fleet. Following the war the work continued with the Royal Observer Corps establishing a network of underground Posts which would be used in the event of the cold war with Russia becoming a real war. These posts consisted of an underground chamber with sleeping and working areas and a small building on the surface. These posts are still to be found at East Ends Road, Bradwell on Sea , Latchingdon Road, Latchingdon and Goldsands Road, Southminster. These sites are privately owned and can be dangerous - Do not visit without approval of the owner.
The suffering of the area during World War 2 is illustrated by the following bomb count which was recorded for an area now covered by Maldon District Council although most of the bombs fell in the Dengie 100. 26,778 explosive or incendiary bombs 83 parachute mines 83 V1 flying bombs 54 V2 rockets 25 people killed 191 people injured
Wing Commander Vaclav Bergman was a real hero. He was based at Duxford with 310 Czechoslovak fighter squadron in 1940 flying Hurricanes. On 26 August 1940 he was wounded during a dogfight over Clacton. He attacked one Dornier but during the attack he was jumped by four fighters. During the dogfight his Hurricane was badly damaged and caught fire.He managed to bale out, landing at Goldsands, Southminster and was treated at Rochford Hospital. Wing Commander Bergman continued to fly fighters with great distinction during the war leading to promotion to Wing Commander in 1944 and the award of a DFC. After the war he returned to Czechoslovakia but emigrated to England in 1948 to escape the communist takeover. He rejoined the RAF to serve in the Korean war as a pilot being mentioned in despatches and then obtaining a bar to his DFC. Vaclav retired from the RAF in 1970 after an illustrious career. Sadly he died at Dumbarton, Scotland on 31 December 2002. |
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