Site of Second World War Anti-Tank Pimples, Albany Gardens West/Albany Gardens East, Clacton-on-Sea (EHER 21233)

Site of Second World War Anti-Tank Pimples, now destroyed.

WWII Defence of Clacton survey Contemporary records state, “Concrete pimples and dannert wiring. ‘Greystones’, Lancaster Gardens, front and back garden”, “Concrete pimples and dannert wire. Moot Hall, Albany Gardens, Rear garden” and “Concrete pimples, trench work, gun pit and sandbagging. Albany Gardens, strip across gardens.” <1> Aerial photographs taken at a low level by the RAF in July 1946 show this as a single, very large, anti-tank pimple barrier. It was five rows deep and stretched from the rear of ‘Greystones’, thought to have been No. 6 Lancaster Gardens East, across open ground to Albany Gardens West, across this to the central garden area, across this to Albany Gardens East, and across this to finally abut to a long chalet or bungalow, now replaced by a house, No. 2a Albany Gardens East. Thus, both roads were sealed by “permanent” anti-tank barriers. In all, over 200 pimples can be counted. <2> Visited in 2006 by Fred Nash ,Some of the pimple marks can still be seen on the surface of both roads but particularly across Albany Gardens East. Here, at least six raised circles can be made out where the pimples have been taken up and the holes filled in. After 60 years they still remain remarkably visible. <3> Two photos of pimple marks on Albany Gardens East. <4>