Site of Second World War Spigot Mortar Emplacement, grass verge by Mill, Great Oakley (EHER 21424)

The site of a World War Two spigot mortar emplacement, now destroyed. An annotated low-level aerial photograph, provided by a wartime resident, shows a spigot mortar emplacement on the grass verge by the Mill, no longer extant. Separate text says, "On the roadside along the frontage of the old mill site. There was a wide verge where old cottages had been demolished pre-war for road widening. The pit was on this verge.

It appears that Great Oakley was ringed by defences during the Second World War, presumably to block one of the only two routes inland from Harwich. At least 6 spigot mortar emplacements are known, none surviving. This may be the seventh. Wartime records provide information on some of these, local memory supports and enhances this. An annotated low-level aerial photograph, provided by a wartime resident, shows many of the defence sites as recalled. A spigot mortar emplacement is indicated on the grass verge by the Mill, no longer extant. Separate text says, "On the roadside along the frontage of the old mill site. There was a wide verge where old cottages had been demolished pre-war for road widening. The pit was on this verge". <1> <2> Aerial photographs dated 1946 are inconclusive. It has not been possible to further verify this site.