NHER 42365 (Monument record) - Site of probable World War Two bomb craters

January 2006. Norfolk NMP.
Two probable World War Two bomb craters are visible on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2), at TG 4820 2212 and TG 4816 2208. The northeastern crater lay within a contemporary minefield (part of NHER 42183) but can be differentiated from the craters left by the mines by its larger size. The bombs were perhaps intended for the bombing decoy site (NHER 29752) 195m to the west; a bibliographic source (S3) states that this was bombed on the night of 28th/29th March 1943. Alternatively, they might have been aimed at some of the nearby coastal defences, such as the tents, pillboxes and other structures ranged along the dunes and beach less than 100m to the northeast (also part of NHER 42183). They may instead have been dropped more or less at random prior to an enemy bomber making its return flight across the North Sea. Both craters are still visible as earthworks on the most recent consulted aerial photographs (S4) taken in 2002.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 3 January 2006.