NHER 27517 (Monument record) - World War Two defences

August 2005. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two anti invasion defences are visible on contemporary and later aerial photographs (S1 to S18). This extensive group of defences is centred on TG 5275 1134 and stretches from Beach Road, Caister on Sea to about half way along Great Yarmouth racecourse. They form part of a line of defences that continue further to the north (NHER 27508) and south (NHER 32675).
The earliest aerial photographs of this area show that some defences were already in place by August 1940 (S1). Barbed wire extended along the beach for the whole length of the area by that date. A single line of anti tank cubes was positioned diagonally to the north of the Beach Road at TG 5275 1216. A further single line of anti tank cubes were located to the north of the lifeboat station at TG 5282 1195. A flat roofed concrete structure of unknown function was located in front of the lifeboat station at TG 52835 11915 and a hexagonal pillbox, probably a type 22, was positioned adjacent to the old lifeboat station at TG 52860 11905. Another line of anti tank cubes had been placed to the south of the old lifeboat station by September 1940 (S2). Two more type 22 pillboxes with associated slit trenches were located on the edge of the beach at TG 5300 1149 and TG 5306 1097 by August 1940 (S1). Parallel earth banks were present to the southwest of the southernmost pillbox at TG 5202 1091. The banks are of uncertain function although they could possibly be rifle butts or some type of military training earthwork. An anti tank ditch extended between the beach at TG 5311 1079 across to the railway line at TG 5292 1073 before continuing on a zig zag course to meet Yarmouth Road at TG 5239 1066. This ditch was initially excavated to a narrow width with the spoil banked on its southern side. Aerial photographs dating to 18th of August 1940 show the western end of the ditch being widened and a bank being created on its north side (S1). This work continued on the section of ditch to the east of the railway line on 4 September 1940 (S3). Single anti tank cubes were present on either side of the railway line at the point where it crossed the line of the ditch (S1). A possible weapons pit was located in the bank on the south side of the ditch close to its eastern end at TG 5309 1076. To the south of the anti tank ditch, a curved line of barbed wire extended from the beach at TG 5308 1059 southwest to TG 5281 1036 and back to the ditch at TG 5252 1066 (S1). This anti tank ditch and barbed wire formed part of a line of west to east defences that continued to the west of Yarmouth Road (NHER 27519). They effectively cut off the Yarmouth peninsula and were designed to prevent any enemy force that landed from moving into or out of the area.
Only the northern part of these defences is visible on aerial photographs dating to December 1940 (S4). Minefields had been laid in the sand dunes to the south of the lifeboat station from TG 5277 1188 to the anti tank ditch at TG 5297 1077. Another minefield to the south of the anti tank ditch centred on TG 5298 1062 had probably also been laid by this date, but the earliest aerial photographs showing it date to February 1941 (S5). A 20m wide bomb crater is visible immediately to the north of the minefield at TG 5274 1193 in December 1940 (S4). This was caused by a single bomb dropped on 24 September 1940 that detonated the northern part of the minefield between TG 5277 1188 and TG 5286 1170 and damaged houses on Beach Road and Clay Road (S19). A large curved barbed wire perimeter had been placed around the pillbox at TG 5300 1149 by December 1940 (S4).
Aerial photographs dating to 1944 and 1945 show the full scope of the defences. As well as new features that had been added to the site by this time, small features that were not clearly visible on the earlier photographs can be seen on the later low level photographs. By March 1944 a line of beach scaffolding had been positioned on the south side of the anti tank ditch between TG 5308 1051 and TG 5239 1050 (S6). Six anti tank cubes flanked the railway line at the point where the scaffolding crossed it. Additional anti tank cubes had also been placed at the point where the anti tank ditch crossed the railway line. Roadblocks were positioned on Yarmouth Road at the western end of both the scaffolding and anti tank ditch (S6 to S7). These roadblocks provided a link between the line of defences to the west and east of Yarmouth Road. Although the earliest aerial photographs showing these roadblocks and scaffolding date to March 1944, they were probably constructed in the early part of World War Two when there was still a threat of invasion. These roadblocks consisted of a series of concrete sockets into which rails could be placed to block the road (S7). Between the anti tank ditch and scaffolding was a pillbox attached to a barn at White Gate Farm. This pillbox still survives and appears to be modified type 24 (NHER 32676). A spigot mortar emplacement was located 32m to the east of the pillbox at TG 52445 10590 (S7 and S12).
Also by March 1944 a polygonal barbed wire enclosure had been placed on the west side of the railway line at TG 5286 1065 (S6 and S8 to S10). This enclosure measured up to 220m long by 135m wide and straddled the anti tank ditch. An unidentified camouflaged structure was located in the enclosure at TG 52885 10675 but its purpose is unknown. Further structures of unknown function were located between TG 5240 1097 and TG 5251 1084 by March 1944 (S6, S8 to S9). A concrete light anti aircraft emplacement was located on an earthwork mound at TG 5289 1101. This appears to be a standard Bofors gun emplacement in which the cross-shaped legs of the gun’s base can be seen in April 1944 (S6, S8 to S10). Smaller structures, possibly associated with the gun emplacement are present to its north. Other unidentified structures, possibly also light anti aircraft gun emplacements were located on mounds at TG 5285 1133 and TG 5272 1180 (S6 and S9) anti tank cubes had been placed at Caister on Sea by 1944. The single rows present in 1940 had each been supplemented by an extra row (S6, S9 and S11). Further cubes had also been placed at the end of Beach Road at TG 5276 1206 and TG 5277 1203 (S6, S9 and S11). A pillbox, apparently a type 24, was located to the southeast of Beach Road at TG 5280 1204 (S6, S9 and S11). This pillbox had tilted forwards through coastal erosion by August 1945 (S11). Beach scaffolding had been positioned along the whole of the sea front between TG 5276 1216 and TG 5311 1054 (S6, S8 to S11). A concrete structure that was surrounded by an earth bank was located at TG 5301 1117 (S11). The western part of this structure was open with an entrance at its southern end. The eastern part had a flat concrete roof. Its function is unknown. Spigot mortar emplacements were located on the edge of the dunes at TG 5310 1053 and TG 5308 1093 (S9 to S10).
Four bomb craters were present around TG 5300 1047 by March 1944 (S6, S9). A line of three craters were also present on the eastern side of the minefield between TG 5299 1080 and TG 5303 1096 (S6, S9 to S10). These bombs had detonated part of the adjacent minefield. The demolished remains of the former Golf Club House on Tan Lane at TG 5266 1188 are also visible on 1944 and 1945 aerial photographs (S6 and S9). This building was destroyed when the army accidentally set off explosives in 1942 (S19).
The majority of the defences at the site, including the minefields, remained in position in 1945 and 1946 (S13 to S14). Among the defences that had been removed by August 1945 were the roadblocks on Yarmouth Road where a new road surface had been laid (S12). By 1952 the minefields had been cleared, the barbed wire and beach scaffolding had been removed and the majority of the anti tank ditch had been backfilled (S15). However, some anti tank cubes remained in place at Caister on Sea (S16). Although some of these still remained near the lifeboat station in 1965 (S17), they too had been removed by 1978 (S18).
J. Albone (NMP), 11 August 2005.