In spring of 1943, secret plans were being drawn up on the Suffolk coast. Britain was at war, France was occupied, and a new approach was needed.
The 163rd Brigade/54th Division, led by Brigadier General Wales, were hard at work building fortifications on Westleton Walks, as part of Operation Kruschen.
By this stage of the war, there were fewer concerns about a German invasion – defences had been put in place in 1940 in anticipation of that. This time, they were planning for Allied troops to cross the Channel and take control of the German-occupied ports of northern France.
Following a failed Allied raid on Dieppe the previous summer, senior military leaders realised a new approach was needed to gain control of Normandy ports. Troops would need to access these ports from land, not sea, but how would they breach the heavily fortified German defences?
Based on key intelligence from the front line, Brigadier General Wales and his men were building a replica German ‘hedgehog’ on the heathland between Dunwich and Westleton, known as Westleton Walks.
Of course, we’re not talking about the small, spiky mammals that are so popular with gardener. This hedgehog was a different beast altogether; a full-scale, military construction bristling with all-round defences, including small, partly underground concrete forts known as pillboxes, underground troop shelters, anti-tank ditches, minefields, wire, gun-pits and trenches.
Its purpose was to allow Allied troops to develop the battle procedures required to enable them to breach these defences in northern France and take control of the vital Normandy ports.
After months of preparation and experimentation, a final demonstration of an assault against the hedgehog was held on May 8, 1943. This was just the start of planning for the D-Day landings, which eventually took place in June 1944.
After that initial demonstration, the 79th Armoured Division developed the techniques further, and they were later at the forefront of the D-Day landings, and the subsequent Allied successes in northern France.
The Westleton Walks continued to play a key role in the war effort through 1944 at part of the Dunwich Battle Area, as follow up divisions exercised close pursuit techniques against an enemy expected to be in rapid retreat.
With the war effort finally over, troops were no longer stationed on the Dunwich Battle Area, and the land slowly returned to nature. Much of this area is now part of RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, where many reminders of the importance of this area to the war effort can still be found hidden amongst the abundant wildlife.
Anti-tank ditches can still be widely found on Westleton Heath, Dunwich Heath and surrounding areas. The south-facing edges of some of the ditches are vital habitat for warmth-loving invertebrates, such as digger wasps, mining bees and the rare antlion.
Bare ground within these ditches and elsewhere where the soil had been disturbed during war-time operations created the perfect conditions for heathland vegetation to regenerate, as well as providing suitable habitat for basking adders and ground-nesting birds, such as nightjar and woodlark.
To this day, the RSPB continues to carefully manage and nurture this precious heathland habitat to make sure it retains its attractiveness to wildlife, providing a place for these species to eat, breed and live.
The pillboxes built for Operation Kruschen were destroyed during November 1943 as troops practised demolition techniques, but other pillboxes built during the summer of 1940, when the fear of invasion was at its height, include one that is cunningly hidden within the ruins of 12th century Leiston Abbey.
Perhaps the most obvious evidence of the army’s presence in the Minsmere area during World War Two can be seen along the beach. Here, in 1940, rolls of barbed wire and sharp metal spikes were installed to prevent German troops from coming ashore if the anticipated invasion happened. At low tide, the remains of these spikes, known as Dragon’s Teeth, can still be seen emerging from the sand.
Behind these Dragon’s Teeth, a line of concrete blocks was constructed as a barrier to tanks coming ashore. One of the best remaining sections of the tank traps is at Minsmere, where one even bears the carved inscription 'Wimpey Defence Line 1940'.
These concrete tank traps now provide warm basking sites for Common Lizards and various insects, and perches for Wheatears, Stonechats and Linnets.
Perhaps even more importantly, in terms of its impact on wildlife, was the decision by the local army captain in charge of the Minsmere area to close the Minsmere sluice. This resulted in the formation of a large shallow lake immediately inland of the dunes.
Once the war was over, and the sluice was opened again, this lake slowly drained and reeds began to grow. It was here, in May 1947, that avocets were found nesting in the UK for the first time in 100 years, and another top-secret operation was launched to protect them. Operation Zebra was so named because the birds they were protecting were black-and-white, like zebra.
Just weeks earlier, on April 25, 1947, the RSPB had signed a management agreement with the Ogilvie Estate, and RSPB Minsmere nature reserve was born.
Subsequent reedbed establishment created the perfect conditions for bitterns, bearded tits and marsh harriers to thrive, aided by careful habitat management by RSPB wardens. Some years later, a shallow coastal lagoon, known as the Scrape, was excavated to create suitable habitat for nesting avocets, gulls and terns and migrant wetland birds, replicating the lake that had formed during the war.
Want to visit and experience RSPB Minsmere for yourself, or become a member to support the RSPB’s ongoing work to help nature in Suffolk? Find out more at rspb.org.uk/minsmere
