Col. Fielder at Canvey Fort 1969

Before it was demolished

Col. Fielder at one of the towers

We have been very fortunate to have been given copies of these photos of Colonel Fielder at Canvey fort taken in 1969 before the battery, towers etc were demolished.

The Battery, locally known as The Fort was originally built in 1938 and below is a memory by Bill Gower who was one of the many who helped build it.

‘Canvey was well armed against any German approach by their aircraft or by sea. In fact I had previously been a train driver on the building of Canvey Fort, a massive construction on Thorney Bay and the train I was driving was a goods wagon affair hauling ballast and building materials from Kit Katts Road which was not built up as it is now. The track went right through Thorney Bay nearly to the tank farm, over field and dykes.’

The entrance to the battery with Col. Fielder
Echo newspaper group and the Rayleigh Town Museum
Close-up of the sign
Echo newspaper group and the Rayleigh Town Museum

Comments about this page

  • My dad was a friend of the colonal for years he once offered my dad all the land opposite thorney bay for 2k my dad said what would he do with the land lol we know different these days now its a massive housing estate.

    By brian kavanagh ryley (03/10/2023)
  • I lived opposite the fields at Hawkesbury Road, we used play over there and catch tadpoles in the dykes , my childhood and build our look outs remember these buildings

    By Denise Stiles nee Hawkins (10/11/2023)

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