The Broads Flotilla and Acle during WW2

During the early years of the Second World War, the possibility of invasion by Germany was seen as a very real threat. The eastern coastline of Britain was thought to to be the most likely point of attack, with East Anglia in particular considered to be the most vulnerable. A vast network of coastal and inland defences were created, all designed to either destroy or at least hamper any invasion attempts, the sheer magnitude of these defences is staggering when you consider it was then replicated around the entire British Isles. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads played a hugely important role in these defences, and I discovered more about this during a recent talk and walk which covered the role of the village of Acle during the war.

The event was organised by Norfolk County Council in conjunction with the Friends of Stracey Arms Mill and the Water, Mills & Marshes Broads Landscape Partnership Scheme, and it provided a fascinating look into the defence of Britain on both a local and national level. Archaeologist, Chris Kolonko, provided us with the background of those defences, the strategies behind them, and the people involved. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, a programme of building pillboxes, anti tank blocks and traps, roadblocks, gun emplacements, barbed wire barriers and slit trenches was quickly put in to place both along the coastline itself and also inland. If the enemy had made it through the coastal defences then the towns and villages were the next line of defence, with major roads, rail lines and rivers being the obvious route of attack. By the middle of 1940, the UK was prepared for invasion. Over the next year those defences were consolidated further as new strategies and weaponry were developed.

The towns, villages and strategic points in the landscape were categorised in importance in respect of their transport and communication links. These were assigned as category “A” or “B” nodal points, others as anti-tank islands. Acle was deemed to be a category “A” nodal point due to the convergence of the river, the rail line and a major road leading inland from Great Yarmouth. Whilst little of the defences established in the area remain, studies have indicated that over a dozen pillboxes, eight spigot mortar emplacements, eleven roadblocks, three anti tank guns, plus infantry posts, anti tank blocks and “fougasse” flame traps, were located in an area covering Acle village itself, Acle Dyke, Acle Bridge, the surrounding fields towards Upton and the nearby rail line. The bridge itself was fitted with chambers which held explosives which could, as a last resort, be detonated to destroy the river crossing.  Magnify that across the rest of Norfolk and Suffolk and, indeed, the whole of the UK and you can appreciate just what an incredible feat of organisation and engineering this was. Both regular and territorial forces were involved in the defence of the region, along with the Home Guard, the latter playing an increasingly more important role in those home defences as the war progressed.

By 1942, the threat of invasion had subsided and, in December of that year, it was decided that defences within Britain should be scaled back. In 1944 those defences began to be dismantled but there are still remnants to be found. The WW2 walk at Acle is a 4.5 mile circular trail that starts from either the train station, or the car park at the recreation centre, and takes you down Acle Dyke, along the River Bure past the Bridge Inn to Fishley, and then inland to Upton and back across the fields, passing some of the pillboxes and spigot mortar pedestals that remain. Dr Andrew Tullet from the Norfolk Heritage Environment Service talked about the role Acle played in the defence of the region and then guided us around the trail, with Chris Kolonko providing further insights into the structures that still remain.

In Acle itself you’ll find two pillboxes. A type 22, hexagon shaped pillbox survived in a private garden, being used as a storage shed for many years after the war. That land was redeveloped in recent years and that pillbox has been preserved, now sitting at the end of Oaks Lea on the Springfield housing estate (picture above). The brickwork would have originally extended to the top of the structure. Inside would have been a Y-shaped anti ricochet wall, designed to deflect stray bullets which may have passed through the openings (embrasures). In the centre of the village, attached to the Manor House is a very interesting remnant of the war. It sits at the junction of three major roads – the road leading up from Acle Bridge, the Yarmouth Road and the Reedham Road. Here, a small building on the end of the Manor House was adapted for use as a pill box, the windows blocked up with reinforced concrete to create two gun positions. This is now preserved as part of the Grade II listing on the main house.

Heading down Acle Dyke, nothing remains of the wartime defences, although an old aerial image clearly shows that another Type 22 pillbox was situated along the dyke. As previously mentioned, Acle Bridge was considered to be a strategically important area with both river and road access, and the presence of a boatyard which was involved in the building of craft for the admiralty. In the beer garden of the Bridge Inn is a spigot mortar emplacement pedestal, another remains in a field at the rear of the pub and a third stood in the nearby boatyard. These were primarily intended for use as anti-tank weapons and could be lifted off and switched between pedestals as needed. A 6 pdr anti tank gun is also thought to have been placed here, along with the two 25 pdr A/T guns which were located in the village itself.

The bridge area is now believed to have been the likely site of the Acle sub-base of the Broads Flotilla. The Flotilla consisted of fast, armed motor boats which patrolled the inland waterways, investigating suspicious activity and laying mines on the open broads to prevent enemy sea planes from landing. Originally operated by the Navy, it was later taken over by the Army and became part of the Army’s Navy. The main HQ of the Broads Flotilla was at Wroxham, but there were sub-bases elsewhere around Broadland, including the Acle base. The Imperial War Museum hold a collection of photographs of the flotilla dating from 1940 and 1941, some of which are reproduced below under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence. These were presumably produced for the press for propaganda purposes but are an extremely interesting document of Broadland during wartime. Clicking on the images will take you to their original source on the IWM website for further information.

The image above shows what is thought to have been the Acle sub-base at Eastick’s Yacht Station near to the bridge. This was originally believed to have been one of the boatsheds at Eastick’s yard at the end of Acle Dyke, but it doesn’t tally with other photographs of the sheds there at that time. A tourist guide, produced for the 1940 holiday boating season (which didn’t happen!) contains both a map and advert for Easticks which shows that they did indeed have another yard just upstream of Acle Bridge, where Bridgecraft is now located. The Broads became a no go area for members of the public, all recreational boating ceased. Many of the larger boatyards began to build craft for the admiralty and were themselves a target for enemy attack.

“Group of launches from the Acle Bridge sub-base, commanded by Lieut L Dudley Ward, RNVR, coming upstream at speed.”

The Broads Flotilla training just upstream of Acle Bridge in 1940. The riverside branch of Curtis Stores, now Dunes Cafe, can be seen in the background on the right.

“One of the duties of the Broads Flotilla is to investigate suspicious movements. In this case it was reported that a man had been seen near a deserted windmill. The boats of the Acle sub-base go out to investigate. Lieut Ward points out the windmill to his coxswain, Leading Seaman Butler.” This is Stokesby Old Hall Mill, on the River Bure.

“Closing in on the windmill Lieut Ward approaches the door and finds that it has not been tampered with.” Although labelled by the IWM as Clippesby Mill, this is actually Stokesby Old Hall mill on the River Bure – many thanks to Russell Jones for providing the correct identification.

“Lewis gunners ready in case of an air attack. Banks of the river are watched for any suspicious movements.”

“At Ormesby Broad sub-base, commanded by Lieut Wallace, RNVR, two ratings carry a mine along the jetty, with mooring cable and weight attached.”

“The mine is lowered over the stern of one of the launches. In the background is a line of previously moored mines.” This is either Ormesby or Filby Broad.

Armed motor launches head out from the boat shed at Wroxham, The Broads Flotilla HQ during the Second World War.

“The group from Base Headquarters Wroxham commanded by Lieut Hart, RNVR, coming upstream.”

“Base Headquarters, the Houseboat IOLANTHE.” Looking up towards Wroxham Bridge.

Another photograph taken alongside the houseboat Iolanthe at Wroxham c1940.

“Action Stations at the base of the Broads Flotilla at Wroxham. Gunners and coxswains run from their quarters to the launches.”

“An officer in the Broads Flotilla gives instructions to two coxwains during an exercise on the Norfolk Broads, 18 August 1941.” Norfolk Division, 2nd Corps. This was taken after the Army’s Navy had taken charge of the Broads Flotilla.

Thousands of troops were moved to East Anglia during those early years of the war and they all needed accommodation. On the Norfolk Broads, it seems that hire cruisers were used to billet some of the Broads Flotilla. I had assumed that such cruisers were requisitioned by the Navy and Army for use, but a letter to the Headquarters of the Norfolk Division in October 1941 shows that they were actually hired from the boatyards. The letter, written by Lt. Colonel Walsingham, commanding officer of the 8th BN. Royal Norfolk Regiment, gives some interesting insight into the billeting arrangements and his feelings against proposals to build Nissen huts to house the men instead. He wrote:

“It is proposed, as you know, to abandon the Cabin Cruisers used for quarters and replace them with Nissen Huts. From what you have told me I understand that erection of the huts might start in about a fortnight’s time. Before this is irrevocably decided may the following points be considered, please?

From what I am able to ascertain the cost of building Nissen Huts at about £130 would represent the hire of the cruisers for many months. It represents an outlay of nearly £10 a head equivalent to billeting in a cruiser for about 400 nights. I am extremely doubtful whether suitable sites can be found for the Nissen Huts in some places.”

He went on to detail the current accommodation at various sub bases around the Broads. At Wroxham 16 men were sleeping in the main billet, 2 in another, 12 in cruisers and the guard in another cruiser. “The Guard plus the 12 in cruisers are there always on the spot in case of a sudden emergency.”

At Potter Heigham and Ormesby, all men were in a billet with no need for either cruisers or huts. At Acle, all were in cruisers except the cook. “It is difficult to believe that Huts in these marshes would not sink into the mud – or that they could be approached in the winter without thigh boots.”

The risk of flooding at St Olaves was also an issue where the whole detachment was housed in “a perfectly satisfactory boat.” A Nissen Hut had also been proposed here. “The site is covered with reeds and has evidently frequently been under water.”

At Brundall the proposed site for Nissen huts was near the station – too far from the sub-base  according to Walsingham. “There is nowhere else to put them – if the men are not at the sub-base the resulting delay in turning out in an emergency might be fatal.”  I believe that the Brundall sub-base was based at Brooms boatyard and, interestingly, he recommends that the cruisers being used there should be requisitioned instead of continuing to hire them. “They are liable to be sold by the owner at any moment as things are now – If requisitioned they could have some necessary repairs done to them.”

It seems that Brundall village and surrounding area saw a huge influx of military personnel during the war. “The Book of Brundall & Braydeston”, produced by Brundall Local History Group in 2007, includes a number of wartime memories. Margaret Lishman recalled how Brundall changed during the war: “It was full of troops. All the big houses and some moderately sized ones were taken over by the Army.” She continued: “They put up Nissen huts in the grounds at Brundall Gardens and Brundall House. Then the Americans hit the region. They visited the village for the pubs, madly careering by on decrepit bicycles.” Brundall House had itself been utilised as a military hospital during the First World War.

This is just a small snapshot of the Norfolk Broads during the Second World War, and there is so much more still to learn about that period. It does, however, illustrate the seriousness of that threat of invasion at the time, and also the astonishing speed at which a substantial network of defences were established across the British Isles in response. As war progressed, that threat diminished and Britain breathed a tentative sigh of relief, ready to reinstate those defences at a moments notice should the need arise during the remainder of the war.

Further reading and sources:

Acle & District in WW II – article on the Water, Mills and Marshes website.

The Horning Warships – article on the Broadland Memories Blog

Brundall House VAD Auxilliary Hospital (WW1) – article on the Broadland Memories Blog

The Book of Brundall & Braydeston – The Brundall Local History Group, published by Halsgrove 2007 ISBN 978 1 84114 630 0

A Norfolk Village in Wartime – Charles Carrodus, printed by H.Clarke & Co London c1949

Norfolk Historic Environment Service – https://twitter.com/NorfolkHES

Chris Kolonko-Weet – https://twitter.com/ckolonko