| |
Southwold
has experienced the grim reality of
war three times in the last 400 years
|
|
| |
| Small,
peaceful and picturesque, Southwold’s
enviable coastal position has often
made the town vulnerable in wartime.
Sole Bay, on which Southwold stands,
saw a violent sea battle in 1672 during
the Anglo-Dutch wars. Nearly 4000
seamen perished and Southwold’s
residents were on alert in case they
had to fight off an invading enemy.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
LET'S
'AVE A PROPER GANDER!
Patriotic
First World War postcard by
local artist and cartoonist
Reg Carter.
Click the picture to find out
more about how the Great War
affected Southwold. |
|
|
|
|
|
| Southwold
was in earshot of the guns in Flanders
during World War One. Holidaymakers
were replaced by army recruits camping
on the Common and refugees sheltering
in the Constitutional Hall. Food was
scarce – but worst of all, the
town came under direct attack from
Zeppelin air raids and naval vessels.
As World
War Two worsened and a German invasion
became more likely, Southwold once
again became a frontline town. The
beach was mined, guns installed
and beach huts were even scattered
over the Common to deter enemy gliders.
Hundreds of high-explosive bombs
and incendiaries fell, killing thirteen
residents, demolishing buildings
and blowing out the windows of St
Edmund’s Church.
The town’s
War Memorial stands on St Bartholomew
Green, commemorating 72 Southwold
people who died as a result of enemy
action.
Explore the Southwold’s
war stories in more depth below.
The
Battle of Sole Bay
The
First World War
The
Second World War
|
|
|
|
| |
Cannon
balls are still regularly trawled
up in fishing nets off the coast
of Southwold.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Find
out about the Battle of Sole Bay
by clicking the picture |
|
|
|
ZEPP
DOWN! |
| |
 |
|
|
The
coastal towns and villages of Suffolk
were on the direct path of Zeppelin's
in the Great War. Click the picture
for more. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southwold
began the Second War as a safe haven
for London evacuees. It wasn't long
before it was evacuated itself.
Click
the poster to learn more about Southwold
in the last war. |
|
|
|
|
|
***
If you would like to explore Suffolk's heritage in greater depth, visit
Suffolk Heritage Explorer
32,500 entries ranging from 700,000-year-old flint tools to Cold War military sites.
|
|
