BRITAIN AT WAR

For many years I have had an interest in World War One and World War Two along with photography. This has given me the opportunity to visit and photograph various sites with connections to both wars.

Over the years I have written articles on my Leger Battlefield Tours to France, Belgium and Holland. These have included trips to The Western Front, Normandy, Dunkirk & Arnhem and you can read about these along with a selection of photographs, by following the links here... https://peter-lewry.blogspot.com/2025/03/history-articles.html

However, in this article, which will be regularly updated, I will take a look at places, with a military connection, that I have visited in Britain with photos and a brief history about each location.

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CUCKMERE HAVEN

In 1940 one of the many locations along the south coast of England that was a possible invasion spot for Operation Seelowe (Operation Sealion), Germany's code name for their planned invasion of Britain, was Cuckmere Haven. Located between Eastbourne and Brighton it is where the Cuckmere River meets the English Channel and was flanked by high chalk cliffs.

As a result of this a number of defences were constructed in the area to prevent a possible landing by the Germans.

Although much of the original defences have been dismantled or suffered damage over the years, including the anti-tank scaffolding (often known as Admiralty scaffolding or Obstacle Z.1) and barbed wire, there are still many original structures that can be visited in the area which now lies within the Seven Sisters Country Park.

There are several pillboxes and machine gun emplacements in the area of different styles including Type 24, FW3/25 and Type 26 as well as a number that are defined as non-standard.

It is possible to go inside a couple but care should always be taken. Some are located further inland but most overlook the mouth of the Cuckmere River.

You can also still see examples of the slit trenches, large defensive earthworks that could be occupied by between 10 and 20 soldiers.

Finally, running along the banks of the river are a number of tank traps, known as dragons teeth. Pyramidal anti-tank obstacles constructed of reinforced concrete to impede the movement of tanks and other armoured vehicles. 

The Seven Sisters Country Park and Cuckmere Haven are well worth a visit if you are interested in how Britain prepared for a possible invasion.

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GROVE ROAD, MILE END, LONDON

In 1944 Germany launched the first of the V1 (Flying Bombs) on Britain. Launched from various sites across France they had a range of almost 257 kilometres (160 miles). 

The first V1s to hit Britain were launched on 13 June 1944. There were four on this first attack which was not a trial but the start of a major full-scale offensive. The first to hit, at 4.13am, fell about five miles west of Gravesend at Swanscombe. The second six minutes later in Cuckfield, Sussex while a fourth fell at 5.06 am at Platt, near Sevenoaks. The third had hit London.

At 4.25am on 13 June 1944, a few days after the D-Day Landings, the first V1 (Flying Bomb) fell on Central London. The V1 hit the LNER (London North Eastern Railway) bridge and the houses nearby in Grove Road. 

Six people were killed and nine seriously injured. A further 200 were left homeless following the attack.

The casualties were, Dora Cohen (aged 55), Connie Day (32), Willie Rogers (50), Lennie Sherman (12), Ellen Woodcraft (19) and her son Tom (eight-months old).

The bridge was badly damaged but within 40 hours it was repaired, with a temporary bridge which stood until 1948 when a permanent structure was erected. 

In June 1987 a steel blue plaque was placed on the bridge by the Greater London Council following a proposal by Joseph Waters, an east-ender whose  brother had been injured. The plaque was later stolen and replaced with an English Heritage ceramic blue plaque which remains today.

Grove Road is one of many World War One and Two sites I have visited in London and I will be covering more in future updates.

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