NGR: Rocket Emplacements TL 9770 2625 a

Documented in contemporary records as "C10 Colchester", a WWII Anti-Aircraft Rocket Site at Lexden, W of Colchester, at Military Grid Reference M424446. Equipment and manning at the site is documented in May 1942 (Dobinson, 1996):

Manning
Date Weapons Radar Mat Regt Bty
20 May 1942 6 x U9P GL Mk I No 84 HAA 171 ZAA

ZAA Bty is stated as being on temporary attachment to 84 HAA Regt. "Warmen Courageous", p246, states, "In Essex, the raising of rocket batteries was not bruited until June 4th, 1942, when the Lord Lieutenant wrote to General Charlton: "I have been asked to help in the creation of two batteries of Home Guard anti-aircraft artillery, one at Chelmsford and one at Colchester……," and it was not until 7th July that Brigadier H.A.D. Murray, O.B.E., T.D., D.L., Commander 37 A.A. Brigade, received War Office authority for the formation of the batteries "on existing troops of 171/61 A.A. 'Z' Battery R.A.," a regular unit which was then deployed at Lexden Lodge and Writtle".

No other references to the Lexden Lodge site have been found and later text (p.254) in "Warmen Courageous" refers to the site in December 1942 at the "Cavalry Riding School" and the "Cavalry Barracks" with at least 32 projectors. It is therefore thought that, as Writtle was the original training camp for the operational site in Central Park, Chelmsford, Lexden Lodge was the original site of the formation of the unit which operationally moved to Abbey Field, Colchester, in the autumn of 1942. No obvious signs of the site can be seen on an aerial photograph taken in May 1946.<1>-<4>

Site visit October 1998: No further information on the site has come to light.

See also <5> & <6>.