Occasionally you come across interesting photos in obscure records that probably not many people have seen before. I came across these the other day by accident while looking for other stuff in file HO 196/30 - Ministry of Home Security: Research and Experiments Department, Notes. They were apparently taken on the beach at Clacton-on-Sea. The first one pretty well sums up the air war in England at that time – A V2 Rocket crater, with Allied bombers above, no doubt returning from a raid. Don’t know if the building is still there but if anyone knows that area and could take a modern day comparison photo, it would make interesting viewing! Wonder if there are still pock marks to be seen after all these years? Here is the rest of the info and photos.
Hi Chris, The two buildings you can see are the former Grand Hotel on the left and the Tower Hotel on the right, I believe. They are on Marine Parade East at its junction with Vista Road. Both still stand today but have been converted to flats. Have a look on Google Streetview and you'll see they are unchanged. I will try to get photos next time I'm in the area and post them here. Can you provide better resolution copies of the others in the collection as it's difficult to make out their locations? Jenny
Thanks Jenny - Much appreciated! Google Maps Just found this nice close-up of the tower. The Towers, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex Not really any other buildings in the photos. They are very small prints so clarity is not brilliant, but here are some enlargements. And the other V2 incident shows the beach scaffolding defences.-
I contacted the Clacton & District Local History Society yesterday and one of their members very kindly took a stroll down there last night and took these.- The sea-wall has obviously been updated, but that bank could do with a go over with a metal detector!
Brilliant little project. Amazing how much the embankment absorbed of the V2 explosion - rather like the V2 experiment they did on the C4 Blitz Street programme some years ago.
Hi Chris, Well done for getting the photos taken in such a short time. Your efforts have saved me a job! Would like to see the then and now pictures side by side if possible. Is it just me or does it look like the cliff has a large dent in it even now?! Jenny
