Site of Second World War Minefield 45/45, Clacton Golf Course (EHER 21172)

Site of Second World War Minefield, no evidence remaining.

WWII Defence of Clacton survey Contemporary records state, ‘Minefields, gun emplacements, etc. Clacton Golf Course. Map ref. 605315’ (Mil. Ed.) <1> Aerial photograph, 1946 An aerial photograph taken in July 1946 shows the area of the golf course very clearly. A number of WWII 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. At this map reference, forming a rough band from the seashore north westwards, at least 11 craters denotes one of these minefields. <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. 45/45, at 605314 (Mil. Ed). The correspondence states that there were 132 mines ‘on plan’, 90 mines were cleared and there were 38 ‘old craters’. The site was declared as safe. <3> Site visit in 2006 by Fred Nash. Walked in 2006, no obvious signs of depressions could be seen. <4>