Second World War pillbox, west of Creeksea Road (EHER 20778)

A Second World War Type 22 pillbox, facing east. It is south-east of Canewdon, in a field near the footpath, though was originally on the edge of a small wooded area.

July 2003. World War Two Defences in Rochford survey: site visit and desktop research. Standing in an open field some 600 yards to the east of the wartime 'Transmitter Site' (EHER 19575) and 200 yards west of Creeksea Road is an FW3/22 concrete, hexagonal pillbox (EHER 20779). 1960s aerial photographs and a 1972 map show this area to be a small wood at that time with the pillbox standing on the south-east corner. Since then, the trees have been completely cleared to be replaced with a wide arable field. <1> <2> <3> Like the others in the area, the sides measure 7’3”; the loopholes are 12” x 10” with two slit-type in the rear wall. There is a central 'Y-shaped pillar'. In this case all the loopholes are open. Most of the local pillboxes have had some of the loopholes sealed. All pillboxes had a means of resting the elbows when firing the rifle or machine-gun. This was either built into the design of the pillbox (as in the shell-proof 3’6” thick type) or as a separate wooden shelf beneath the loophole (standard on the bullet-proof FW3/22 type). Most, if not all, the Canewdon pillboxes had this latter type and the remains of the battening to which the brackets were once screwed generally survives although the shelves themselves have gone. Such is the case in the pillbox west of Creeksea Road (EHER 20779). <4> Two photos. <5> NRHE data transfer: 1995-2002. Defence of Britain survey. Type 22 pillbox, facing east. Shuttering marks visible. South-east of Canewdon, in field near footpath. [Site location plan drawn on form]. <6> <7>