Enemy Action

Clacton-on-Sea and district suffered enemy attacks from the Luftwaffe, which was the German air force. These attacks were called Air Raids. The people of the town were warned of a likely air raid by loud sirens, positioned in different parts of the town. The Clacton town centre siren was on the police station. For an alert, the siren sound pitch rose and fell alternately. The All Clear was a continuous sound from the siren. Not every alert brought a raid, and when they happened during the night time, getting up to go to the Air Raid Shelter was disruptive to sleep. Sometimes raids happened when no alert had sounded.

Air raid shelter

Some raids were targeted on Clacton; others were the result of enemy planes being repulsed from achieving other targets further inland, especially London. These planes then dropped their bombs before running for home – often on Clacton. Enemy planes also carried out nuisance raids, which were called ‘Tip and Run' raids. These were usually by single aircraft arriving low from the sea without warning. These were feared by the townspeople, which was the enemy's intention. Many of these raids caused damage to local shops and businesses.

Typically defiant advertisement by a Clacton shop that had its windows damaged during an enemy raid (from the Clacton and East Essex Gazette)

The enemy planes dropped different types of bombs. There were H.E. (High Explosive) bombs of various weights; Incendiary Bombs, also termed Fire Bombs, and Oil Bombs. Aircraft would also sometimes machine gun their target. From 1944, two new types of weapons were used, which had a rocket type of propulsion to launch a war head. The VI's, which quickly became known as the Doodlebug; and then the V2's. The V2's arrived without any warning sound. Many VI's fell short into the sea, others fell in the countryside, and fortunately none fell on the town. There were fewer V2's, but two crashed into the sea front cliffs of Clacton. They caused extensive damage to property and some injuries, but no loss of life.

German Bomber

During the wartime years Clacton was consistently under attack. The years 1940 and 1944 were particularly hectic; the year 1942 had the least number of raids. There were over a thousand air raid warnings. In excess of 600 H.E. bombs were dropped, and over 70,000 incendiary bombs.

Clacton made national headlines on the night of 30 th April 1940, when a damaged German mine-laying plane crashed on Victoria Road. One of two mines still on the plane exploded, killing all the crew. The plane crashed onto a house that belonged to Mr & Mrs Gill. The house was totally demolished. The Gills were the first civilians in England to lose their lives in WWII. Damage to property was widespread, and 165 people were injured. The local A.R.P . (Air Raid Precautions) squads were called out (the first time any A.R.P. squad in the country had been called to a real incident). The fire brigade, police, and people from the Red Cross also attended. The next day's national evening newspapers carried Clacton as the headlines, with pictures of the crash site. Local people involved in the holiday business were furious that this reporting would stop holidaymakers visiting for the summer season. In 1940 the town was made a Restricted Military Place. This stopped any thoughts of a 1940 holiday season.

Wagstaff's Corner

This raid happened on 9th May 1941. A lone German bomber on a moonlit night dropped bombs, which exploded at the junction of Rosemary Road and Station Road, and in Pier Avenue. Many business properties were severely damaged, especially in Station Road at Wagstaff's Corner. Here, Wagstaff's shop, and the Tokenhouse Chambers were completely destroyed. On the opposite corner, Barclays Bank was also severely damaged. The clock tower on the top of the building, was left in a dangerous state. It had to be pulled down the next day. A steel cable was attached to the tower, and a steam road roller was used to pull the tower down.

Burrsville Bomb Crater

This huge bomb crater, was just one result of a moonlight night raid on the 12 th June 1941. The Burrsville area of the town was where bombs fell, and in Gorse Lane, two people were killed, others were injured. Clacton and district suffered continual raids throughout the years of war, which resulted in damage to property, and brought death and injury to its townspeople, including children.

Fire bomb raid, 13 th Feb. 44

On the night of the 13 th February 1944, enemy planes dropped brilliant white flares to illuminate the town centre. It has been described as Clacton's worst night. High explosive bombs were then dropped along with huge numbers of incendiary bombs . A wide area was affected, but the town's main shopping streets saw the most damage. Fires caused by the incendiary bombs gutted the Marks & Spencer store. Other shops damaged were Boots, Woolworths and W H Smith. The locally owned Catlings (the drapers), and Fairbairns (the furnishers) also received extensive damage. The Odeon cinema, which was showing a film, had three incendiary bombs pierce the roof. The bombs fell into the auditorium. Many other buildings were affected in the town, but remarkably there were only two causalities, the reason being that there were few residents in the town centre shopping area.