Site of Second World War combined operations training base, HMS ‘St Mathew’, Creeksea Place (EHER 21281)

Now destroyed. The site of a Second World War combined operations training base, HMS ‘St Mathew’, which was commissioned in 1943. The camp accommodated 700 personnel and a further 250 private billets were requisitioned in Burnham. Training commenced on January 10th 1944 and 68 landing craft were stationed here. HMS ‘St. Mathew’ was scheduled to close mid-October 1945. The only surviving feature of the camp is a Nissen-type building used as a cinema (EHER 81326).

May 2009. World War Two Defences in Maldon survey: desktop research and site visit. HMS ‘St Mathew’ was a Combined Operations training base at Creeksea Place, West of Burnham-on-Crouch. A report on Naval Control at Southend and the Thames includes a chapter, written in July 1945, on the camp. The report is finely detailed and the following are selected passages: ‘Commissioning H.M.S. ‘St Mathew’ commissioned on November 8th 1943, under the command of Captain C.R. Dane, R.N. Captain-in-Charge, Burnham-on-Crouch, with the officers and ship’s company and R.M. trainees of H.M.S. ‘Effingham’ from Dartmouth, which port was transferred to the U.S. Forces. The unusual spelling of the ship’s name was to carry on the old tradition, as the last King’s Ship so named, spelt the name of the Saint with one ‘t’, being in commission as far back as 1596. Between the date of commissioning and the end of the year, preparations were pushed forward at full speed, with a great deal of conversion of empty houses to Naval requirements and the construction of a camp for Royal Marine personnel at Creeksea Place, to accommodate 700 R.M. personnel. Private billets in Burnham for 250 ratings and Wrens were also requisitioned. 1944 Commencement of Training Everything was finally brought into an organised whole and training commenced at Noon on Monday, January 10th, 1944. The Craft At this time the number of Landing Craft totalled 68, being composed of the Training Flotillas Nos. 425, 426, 427, 428 and 429, and the L.C.S. (M) Flotilla No. 435 ex Northney, with a few craft in non-operational pooled reserve. Personnel The numbers borne on January 17th (1944) being: R.N. Officers 63 R.N. Ratings 463 R.M. Officers 78 R.M. Other Ranks 544 W.R.N.S. Officers 1 Wren Ratings 130 Total: 142 Officers 1137 Ratings Training Programme The training programme allowed for a twelve weeks’ course, mostly in elementary subjects appertaining to pure boat work and seamanship, combined with lectures on many aspects of Combined Operational training’ It is stated that between 1 April 1944 and 7 April 1945 488 Officers, 288 N.C.O.’s and 1,891 Other Ranks were trained to use landing craft. H.M.S. ‘St. Mathew’ was scheduled to close mid-October 1945. <1> An aerial photograph, undated but clearly taken either during the war or shortly thereafter, shows what appears to be rows of Nissen huts, around 20 of them, NW of Creeksea Place, between the house and Ferry Road. A 1960 aerial photograph shows this same area as a caravan park. <2> <3> During a site visit in 2009, it was noted that the area of the huts is now Creeksea Caravan Park. Immediately North of the caravan park, at the side of the track which leads from Ferry Road to Creeksea Place Farm, a building that is reported to be the camp cinema still stands (see EHER 81326) and is the only remaining extant feature of the camp. <4> <5> 21 photos. <6> Note: this monument originally recorded both the training camp and the camp cinema, as they were reported on in <5>. As the cinema is the only remaining extant feature of the camp, it has been given its own record, EHER 81326.