Site of Second World War Pillbox, seafront by Butlin’s, Clacton-on-Sea (EHER 21441)

On the beach was a large, square pillbox, concrete, with long loopholes on the north and the west sides. It has now been destroyed.

Site visit by Fred Nash, 2006 In 2006, Clacton-on-Sea was surveyed for WWII defence sites (see ‘Survey of World War Two Defences of Clacton’, report for ECC, May 2008). At that time a study of 1946 aerial photographs indicated a square structure on the beach by the former Butlin’s site, west of the Butlin’s Martello tower. (See note on EHER 21177). <3> <4> Postcard, 1958 A postcard, franked in 1958, has now come to light which shows holidaymakers along this stretch with both the holiday camp and the Martello tower in the background. On the beach is a large, square pillbox, concrete, with long loopholes on the north and the west sides. There may have been loopholes on the other sides but they cannot be seen. It is uncertain whether it was built to house an artillery piece or heavy machine-guns. The loopholes are very long, splayed-out, but not very tall, suggesting that it may have been a Vickers machine-gun pillbox. The 1946 aerial photograph shows that this was one of two pillboxes built side-by-side. The other (EHER 21177) was a hexagonal type built between the square pillbox and the sea. Nothing of either pillbox now survives. <1> <2>