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HA2 Kirby-le-Soken is a World War II decoy site located in Essex, England, constructed as part of the air defence strategy employed during the Second World War. The site was designed to divert enemy bombing raids away from nearby towns and military installations by simulating a built-up area or airfield. Such decoy sites, known as HA (Hostile Area) decoys, were fitted with lights and sometimes dummy structures to create the illusion of populated centres or strategic targets from the air. The remains of this defensive installation survive as archaeological evidence of wartime civil defence measures and represent an important aspect of Essex's experience during the 1939–1945 conflict.
World War II bombing decoy HA2 Kirby-le-Soken is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1019882. View the official record →
HA2 Kirby-le-Soken is a World War II decoy site located in Essex, England, constructed as part of the air defence strategy employed during the Second World War. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1019882.
World War II bombing decoy HA2 Kirby-le-Soken is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1019882.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Beaumont Quay, Hamford Water: a 19th century quay and lime kiln (2.9 km), Martello tower K and associated battery south west of Walton Mere (3.7 km), Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite 350m north east of Little Oakley Hall (4.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of World War II bombing decoy HA2 Kirby-le-Soken's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
World War II bombing decoy HA2 Kirby-le-Soken stands on Thames Group, bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is clay, silt, sand and gravel.