Site of Second World War Alan-Williams Turret, Steeple Road, Latchingdon (EHER 20641)

Now destroyed. Contemporary records describe an Alan-Williams turret on the site of EHER 20642, which is a pillbox to the north of Steeple Road. A local resident describes it as having been in the field to the south of Steeple Road instead.

November 2002-January 2003. World War Two Defences in Maldon survey: site visit and desktop research Contemporary records state, '2 defence posts. 2 Storage Chambers, A.W. Turret, Wiring. Good Hares. Map ref. 334189 (Mil. Ed.)'. <1> The military grid reference places these defence works by the road immediately east of Latchingdon village. This is the position of the extant pillbox (EHER 20642). However, the site of the Alan-Williams steel turret is recalled locally to have stood NE of here, on the west side of a north-south hedgeline. It was, apparently, painted green (the standard colour for Alan-Williams turrets) and may have been taken away during the war. <2> <3> Note: the turret was probably sited to support the 'Back Line' defence (EHER 20631) and the pillboxes EHER 20640 and EHER 20642.