Site of Second World War ‘Diver’ Site No. N51, NW of Bridgewick Farm, Dengie (EHER 21322)

Now destroyed. The site of a Second World War heavy anti aircraft (Diver) Battery in the Diver Box at Dengie Marshes. It was armed with eight 3.7-inch Mark IIc guns on 13th August 1944 and reduced to four guns by 24th November 1944. The site originally had about 20 Nissen huts, and after it fell out of use, two of these were still extant in 1960. These were finally destroyed sometime before it was visited in 2008.

November 2008. World War Two Defences in Maldon survey: desktop research and site visit. A report, compiled in 1996 from wartime documentation, lists the ‘Diver’ anti-aircraft gun sites in East Essex in summer/autumn 1944. Site No. N51, NW of Bridgewick Farm at Military Grid Reference M460185, is recorded on 28 August 1944 as being equipped with eight 3.7 inch Mk IIc guns. No manning is given. Three months later, the same site is listed as having four of these guns, manned by 197 Regiment 603 Battery. <1> Aerial photographs taken in May 1946 show the site very clearly. There are about 20 huts, mainly Nissen, in a block 200/300 yards NW of Bridgewick Farm. The soil marks of four guns can be seen alongside a track North of the huts. <2> By 1960, two Nissen huts remained. <3> When visited in 2008, it was noted that these too had gone and the site was an open field. <4> NRHE data transfer: no new information. NRHE summary description: Site of a Second World War heavy anti aircraft (Diver) Battery in the Diver Box at Dengie Marshes. It was armed with eight 3.7-inch Mark IIc guns on 13th August 1944. It was reduced to four guns equipped with BTL Predictor, and SCR584 Radar, on 24th November 1944, at which time it was manned by 603 Battery of 197 Anti Aircraft Artillery Regiment. <1>