Site of Second World War Heavy Anti-Aircraft gun site Clacton C4, Little Holland (EHER 21160)

Site of Second World War Heavy Anti-Aircraft gun site. It formed part of the defences of Clacton. It was armed with four 3.7-inch mobile guns in 1942, when it was manned by 325 Battery of the 72nd Royal Artillery Regiment.

WWII Defence of Clacton survey. Previously, two Heavy Anti-Aircraft gun sites in the Holland-on-Sea area, one known from contemporary records and the other from 1946 aerial photographs, were thought to be the same one, both being recorded as such under EHER 10052. With further evidence now available, it is now believed that there were two sites, this one at Little Holland and another, built later (SMR 10052) at Great Holland. The Great Holland SMR record has been updated and amended to include the new information. This record covers the Little Holland site. Documented in contemporary records as ‘C4 Clacton: Little Holland’, a WWII Heavy Anti-Aircraft gun site <1>. Dobinson <2> records this site at Military Grid Reference M 662351 with equipment and manning at the site documented at various dates: Date: 20 May 1942, Guns: 4 x 3.7” (m), Radar: None Regt: 72, Bty325 Date: 22 June 1942, Guns: 4 x 3.7” (m) Military Grid Reference M 662351 is immediately E of Holland-on-Sea, on the coast at current NGR TM 215 170. There is no sign of a gun site at this location on July 1940, July 1941 and July 1946 aerial photographs. It is possible that the site was established between July 1941 and May 1942, with nothing more than sand-bagged emplacements and tented accommodation, as others are known to have been. By July 1946 nothing may have remained to be seen. <2> <3> <4> <5> The site was visited by F. Nash in 2007 The site is now a large grassy recreation area. <6> No new information from NRHE data transfer.