Rainham Marshes Firing Ranges

[homosapien1918]

At the side of the Thames Estuary, not much left now, turned into an RSPB reserve, history below.

In 1906 the War Department created the Purfleet Rifle ranges and in 1915 those at the Rainham end of the site. On Aveley Marsh three Stop Butts were created (part of one still stands) with a Mantlet bank in front of each. This broken linear feature still divides Aveley and Wennington Marshes. The hundred yard shooting ridges can still be seen across the marsh and in the scrub the Cordite store and one of eight anti-aircraft ammunition magazines still stands testament to the military history of the marshes. It was an important air defence location during both wars and a Zeppelin was reputed to have been shot down from the Anti-submarine blockhouse in March 1916 while decoy beacon fires were lit on Wennington during WWII air raids.

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Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr
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Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr
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Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr
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Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr
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Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr
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I think the targets were put up above this long shelter.

Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr
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Rainham Marshes by dervish99, on Flickr