As some of you probably know, a number of Atlantic Wall replicas were built across Britain prior to D-Day to aid training and tactics. As well as one at Sheriffmuir in Perthshire, there's one in Surrey and another at Castlemartin in Pembrokeshire. It seems another posiible one has been found in Suffolk. This is an email sent to Chris Shepheard, who runs a website on the Surrey one. "Dear Chris, I am a volunteer researcher for Orford Museum (Suffolk) and contacting you about your web site relating to the Atlantic Wall in Surrey. Orford Museum is a registered charity and has permanent display exhibits in Orford Castle which is operated by English Heritage. In October last year we held a very successful two day exhibition in Orford Town Hall to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the release of the villages of Sudbourne and Iken back to the residents following their requisition by the Army as a battle training area by the 79th Armoured Division under Major-General Sir Percy “Hobo” Hobart. During the course of the event and since then further information has been forthcoming about events and items that relate to the period between 1942 and 1948. Following information from a local resident I attended a location in the village of Sudbourne with our curator and the landowner where we are now certain we have discovered a section of the missing concrete Atlantic Wall. The present section of wall, built into a bank separating two fields, is 22 metres long and eight feet high. I have been in contact with the Tank Museum and obtained from them a copy of their photograph reference No. 0359/A/4 showing a Churchill Double Onion placing a charge against a wall. This photograph has been identified as having been taken at Sudbourne on the section of wall we have now located. In addition I have today received a scan of an aerial photograph taken of the site by the RAF in 1945, and part of the wall can be seen by zooming in on the image. We will be including a report on this find in a future newsletter to all the Friends of the Museum and to provide images to compare what we have in our area and you have in Surrey I would be most obliged if you could let me have photographs of your wall, as per the examples on your web site. I have attached three photographs of our wall, which is not easily discernible as it is covered by vegetation. Your web site has been very helpful to us during our research and we would like to thank you for that assistance. Best wishes Brian Boulton. Old School House, Farnham Road, Snape, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 1QW. Tel. 01728 688999"
If you want to see large sections of untouched training atlantic walls, for comparison and research - Hankley Common in Surrey is your best bet A Sea Wall in Surrey? - D-Day preparations on Hankley Common
If you want to see large sections of untouched training atlantic walls, for comparison and research - Hankley Common in Surrey is your best bet A Sea Wall in Surrey? - D-Day preparations on Hankley Common That is a very interesting link. Regards Tom
As Tom says , a very good link ! Thank you gents - a friend of mine will be interested in this thread. js
