Second World War Bombing Decoy, Spinnel's Farm, Wix (EHER 20309)

A Second World War bombing decoy located at Spinnels Farm in Wix. It was built as part of the 'N-series' of naval decoys to deflect enemy bombing from the sea mine depot at Wrabness. This site was a 'QF' decoy, which consisted of a series of controlled fires lit during an air raid to replicate a target struck by bombs. It is referenced as being in use between 1941 and 1942, though it may have continued being active throughout the war. A control building survives at the site in reasonable condition (please see HOB UID 1349359).

The scheduled part of the decoy includes the night shelter which is situated to the south of the Stour River valley, some 450m south west of Spinnel's Farm. <1> Documented in contemporary records, "WRI Spinnel's Farm" was a World War Two N Series (Naval) decoy controlled from Harwich. This class of decoy was designed specifically for the protection of naval installations - in this case the Sea Mine Depot at Wrabness (TM 162 316), two miles to the N. Dobinson, 1996, records that the site was a QF type - a type which attempted to replicate the night-time fires from a successful raid on a specific target. Similar to Temporary Starfish sites, QF's mainly used basket fires but could add other fire sources to these depending on the nature of the target being replicated. Located some distance from the decoy area, the electrical ignition for the fires was controlled from an earth-covered "night shelter" which housed the generator and switchgear. <2> <3> Site visit September 1999: The contemporary Military Grid Reference of the site, 98/610480, is open farmland on a N-facing hillside, SW of Spinnells Farm. Little can be seen on a 1946 aerial photograph in this position other than some blotching of the soil but this is not positive enough to establish the precise position of the decoy arrays. <3> 400 yards to the NW, overlooking the decoy area from the other side of the valley, the night shelter survives in fine condition. This is very much the same pattern as the naval decoy at Kirby-le-Soken; it is 32' long, with the Operations Room 12' long x 10' wide and the Engine Room 10' long x 11 '6" wide. Between the two is an entrance chamber with a small toilet room. The Operations Room has an escape hatch with steel ladder; the remains of the flue outlet for the stove is in the far left-hand corner. Halfway up the right-hand wall there are four ceramic pipe outlets. These are thought to have been for channelling the electrical switchgear cabling to the outside. In the Engine Room, the engine bed is on the right-hand side and three steel exhaust outlet pipes lead through the N wall to the outside. It is thought that the bunker was constructed as standard with these, but as only one engine was required for powering the fire ignition, only one exhaust pipe would have been used. In the walls are three large ventilation pipes. The earth banking around the bunker has been removed, allowing the outside to be accessible for study. Twelve photos of site. <5> More photos. <6> Report ref <7> Site Assessment: Like its partner at Kirby-le-Soken (SMR 20310) this example of a Naval decoy control bunker is in fine condition providing a valuable example of this defence type. All efforts should be made to ensure its preservation as an historic part of local and national WWII architecture. The scheduled part of the decoy includes the night shelter which is situated to the south of the Stour River valley, some 450m south west of Spinnel's Farm. A Level 3 Historic building record was completed in 2021. The building is built of 14in thick 65x110x225mm Fletton brick walls set in hard sandy lime cement. At the time of the survey only the interior walls and the western exterior wall of the Entrance Lobby was exposed. The walls have recently been hard rendered to tank them and most of the voids have been filled. The central vent (which was trimmed with a large diameter ceramic pipe) has been smashed out and covered with a board. The 8in thick roof is made from shuttered concrete reinforce with quarter inch thin wire bars. It should be noted there are four rooms (different from listing description). The Entrance Lobby (6ft 6in x 7ft 6in), the Operations Room (10ft x 12ft), the Engine Room (10ft x 11ft 7in) and a WC cubicle (4ft x 4ft). There is an entrance port protected by 45 degree sloping walls with a parapet to prevent soil from falling into the passageway. The floors and roof are of shuttered steel reinforced concrete. <8> Arial photograph, 2024 <9> Information from NRHE record 1466933 (decoy site) Aerial photography from 1980 shows that a partially covered control building survived at the site in reasonable condition, but with the blast wall missing from its entrance. <10> NGR given in <11> matches that given in <2>. The naval decoy at Spinnels Farm was a decoy for the sea mine depot at Wrabness, which was operated from Harwich, as identified from its code name WR1. <12> Information from NRHE record 1349359 (night shelter) The night shelter of a World War II bombing decoy, located around 450 metres south west of Spinnels Farm. The site was a World War Two N Series (Naval) decoy, controlled from Harwich and designed to protect the Sea Mine Depot at Wrabness, two miles to the north. It is a QF type, replicating the effects of a night-time bombing raid. The night shelter housed the electrical ignition equipment for the decoy fires. It is a brick and concrete bunker, covered with earth and divided into three rooms: the Operations Room; the Engine Room and a small toilet room. Records indicate that the site was operational in August 1941. The latest written reference to it dates to March 1942, but it may have continued in use until the end of the war. Scheduled. <13>