Possible site of Second World War Minefield 45/44, Clacton Golf Course (EHER 21173)

This area is thought to have been the former site of a minefield during the Second World War, though there is some uncertainty about its precise location and extent. It was cleared and made safe after the Second World War.

WWII Defence of Clacton survey. Contemporary records state, ‘Minefields, gun emplacements, etc. Clacton Golf Course. Map ref. 605315’ (Ordnance Survey Military Edition) <1> An aerial photograph taken in July 1946 shows the area of the golf course very clearly. A number of Second World War structures can be seen, together with several minefields. These are discernible by the regularly spaced craters caused by mines exploding accidentally, most likely by dogs, foxes etc. On the east side of the course, a number of craters can be seen in the rough ground. <2> At the Essex Record Office there exists Clacton Urban District Council correspondence from 1945-47 regarding the clearance of military defence works. From the map references given, this was minefield No. 45/44, at 609 318 (Mil. Ed). The correspondence states that there were 220 mines ‘on plan’, no mines were cleared and there were no ‘old craters’. The site was declared as ‘safe’. <3> This is clearly incomprehensible and it is probable that the documentation was incorrectly made out. <4> Site visit by F. Nash, 2006 Walked in 2006, no obvious signs of depressions could be seen. <4>