bruce Posted 2 February , 2013 Share Posted 2 February , 2013 I am sure that I have read somewhere that prior to Gallipoli in 1915, the Army and Navy had only ever staged one attempted amphibious landing, it being in 1908 and that it involved landing at Clactor-on-sea in Essex. 1. Why Clacton? 2. What happened? 3. How successful was it, and were any lessons learned? 4. Where can I find out more about the landing? Any and all assistance greatfully received. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BereniceUK Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 The Clacton & District Local History Society may know something. http://www.clacton-on-sea.net/Organisations/local_history_soc.htm I tried the link within this link and it didn't work so you may have to find their contact details from the local library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 3 February , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2013 Thanks, Berenice. I'll try that. Bruce Having done so, I hadn't realised how many Mandarin speakers there must be in Clacton! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 1. Why Clacton? 2. What happened? Bruce Having been to Clacton (once) the answers are 1. No idea 2. Nothing. It was shut. , I hadn't realised how many Mandarin speakers there must be in Clacton! Senior Civil Servants have to live somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 3 February , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2013 If you go to the Clacton Historical Society website, and then click to contact them, you get a screen in Mandarin. Why do I have the feeling that the world just seems to keep getting more and more complicated? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMarsdin Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 3. and were any lessons learned? Any and all assistance greatfully received. Bruce Beware Essex girl snipers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 3 February , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2013 Were they chained to their machine guns? Were they the first militia to be equipped with white stilettos? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 According to The Times of August 12,1908, the University College School OTC had just "invaded" at Little Holland, near Clacton, "the same spot as the invading force landing at the Essex manoeuvres of 1904". Access The Times for September 1904 and you'll get some very detailed reports on the manoeuvres. Many local libraries provide registered readers with access to the Times on-line archive but it's not usually available to non-readers. One can copy and paste small articles, but it would be very cumbersome to do this for those describing the 1904 manoeuvres. Googling "Clacton invasion 1904 September" gives a few hits, including articles in overseas papers. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 3 February , 2013 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2013 Thanks, Moonraker I will just have to get to see the Times articles. I will be interested to see why anyone would want to invade Clacton (and I note it was 1904, not 1908 as i first thought). Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 Bruce, I'm guessing a bit here but in the very early 20th century there was a lot of public and Governmental concern about England being invaded and during the Great War the theory was that any German invasion would be on the East Coast. The Clacton invasion appears to have been that year's big army exercise and such was the impact of large-scale manoeuvres on the civilian community that they had to berotated around the country, and in 1904 it was Eastern England's turn. The ease of embarking troops at a large port along the Coast and perhaps rail communications might have suggested Clacton. I suspect there may be a few clues in the Times articles, but I've only had the time to give a very quick glance at them. In 1907 the combined Southern and Eastern Commands exercised 20,000 troops in south Wiltshire. Perhaps conscious of the criticism that very few exercises were on the coast, the War Office decreed that the land east of the River Avon was to be regarded as the sea, with safe anchorages at Figheldean and south of Wilton, near Salisbury. Even so, the exercises failed to give any practice in preventing an invasion, for they started after the Blue Force had "landed" and consolidated at Marlborough. Matters were not helped by food supplies and transport not being where they were expected to be, and an overnight "armistice" had to be extended until the matter was rectified. A year or two later, the Government was a bit more relaxed about an invasion threat and was thinking more of being engaged in a Continental war. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 Thanks, Moonraker ......................................... I will be interested to see why anyone would want to invade Clacton....... Bruce If you are interested, this book, Can Germany Invade England? published in 1912, by Henry Bathurst HANNA, makes interesting reading. (online) Why Clacton? Maybe because it sort of approaches the suggested requirements for an invasion site listed in the book.... One of 6 suitable places required along the E coast with 2.5 miles long beach Firm sandy bottom plentiful supplies of good water along its length Vicinity of a good sized town (there were so few that maybe Clacton would have to do) Offering fresh food and skilled and unskilled labour Somewhere where the sick and wounded could be housed etc... There's more but I think that will suffice. Not to spoil the story, but the answer to the question posed in the title of the book is.... Well worth a read, I think. CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 3 February , 2013 Share Posted 3 February , 2013 And, of course, The Riddle of the Sands had, in 1903, posited the possibility/likelihood of a German invasion from the Baltic islands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 4 February , 2013 Share Posted 4 February , 2013 Not to mention GT Chesney's 1871 'The Battle of Dorking' where the invaders landed, not so far from Clacton, at Harwich Free download available of late 1914 edition (with references to the Great War given in the preface) from the Internet Archive Here NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 4 February , 2013 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2013 Many thanks for all of this. So we landed at Gallipoli on the basis of this one example, eleven years previously? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 4 February , 2013 Share Posted 4 February , 2013 In The War of the Worlds the invaders landed near Woking, which seems even more bizarre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 4 February , 2013 Share Posted 4 February , 2013 There was a battle of Tilbury in the 1800's but I believe that was to do with a cricket match, I will dig out my old copies of the Essex countryside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 This is a link to Clacton's WW2 defences: there is a contact given, who may be able to advise on the local history society (who presumably have forgotten to keep up with the licence on their web address) - http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/counties/essex/clacton-vch-group-ww2-defences Failing that you could try the Essex Record Office: http://www.essex.gov.uk/Libraries-Archives/Record-Office/Pages/Essex-Record-Office-Contact-Details.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 I am sure that I have read somewhere that prior to Gallipoli in 1915, the Army and Navy had only ever staged one attempted amphibious landing, it being in 1908 a In June 1912 landings were carried out in an exercise at Flotta in the Orkneys with artillery and stores being landed using horse boats In November 1914 an opposed landing under cover of a naval bombardment was carried out at Sheik Said, Bab-el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea resulting in the capture of Turkish forts, again horse boats were used. Whilst these were much smaller in scale than Gallipoli it is untrue to say that there had been no previous amphibious landing since 1908 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 I have some photographs showing troops landing at Clacton, crossing a plank bridge between a boat and the beach. Unfortunately, I have not yet scanned them and I am not entirely certain where I have stored them! Needless to say, I will try and find, scan and post them over the weekend...... From memory the soldiers were wearing slouch hats, so may show the 1904 landings. Please find attached a photo of the defending forces...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest exuser1 Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 Did they have a fall back postion in Romford ? or Wansted Flats ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 Found it! It shows the 1904 Clacton on Sea Landings! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 Found it! It shows the 1904 Clacton on Sea Landings! The slouch hats showing remarkable precognition ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 7 February , 2013 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2013 Many thanks for all contributions, especially the pictures. I wonder if the invaders had cockles for tea? Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayessex Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 Please, Please, Please! No more Essex jokes. we are still trying to live down the Clacton Lion sightings from last summer. Heartless innit! Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 7 February , 2013 Share Posted 7 February , 2013 These are from the 1904 issue of the The Graphic There are copies available on ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now