8th Essex - Second Battalion 1914-1919
On 24 September 1914 authority was given to raise a reserve Battalion . to take over the defence of Essex allowing the original Battalion to serve overseas. This unit was commanded by Lieut-Colonel T J Boulter and mainly recruited from The Colchester area.
Captain G C Benham Adjutant
Lieutenant H L Gibson
2nd Lieut H J Young
Colour Sergeant Instructor W Young
By December 1914 the unit was sent to its first live role in the Tendring Peninsula under Captains Denton and Bland plus Lieutenant H J Young.
By this time the Battalion HQ was at Great Clacton with responsibility for the whole Clacton and Dengie Peninsula.
Picquet Posts were established at buildings are on some cases sheds were built or sentry boxes erected.
The most notable Picquet Point were the Napoleonic War Martello Towers at Clacton and St Osyth and the ancient Chapel of St Peters at Bradwell on Sea.
The companies and their posts are listed below.
A Company Based at Burnham on Crouch
Left bank of River Crouch at Fambridge Ferry
Left Bank of River Crouch at Burnham Coastguard Station
Left Bank of River Crouch at Holliwell Point
B Company based at Walton on the Naze
Sandy Lane, Fronton
Pole Barn lane, Frinton
The Pier, Walton on the Naze ( Night only)
Coast Guard Station, Walton on the Naze
C Company based at Rochford
East End on the River Roach
Right bank of River Crouch at Fambridge Ferry
D Company based at Clacton on Sea
Left bank of River Colne at Colne Point
Martello Tower, St Osyth
E Company based at Little Clacton
The Jetty, Clacton on Sea
The Pier, Clacton on Sea ( Night only)
F Company based at Southminster
Sea Wall, Tillingham at Marsh House
St Peters Chapel, Sea Wall, Bradwell on Sea
Right Bank of River Blackwater at Bradwell Quay
G Company based at Great Clacton
Coastguard Station, Clacton on Sea
Clacton Cliff, Clacton on Sea
Holland Gap, Little Holland
In early 1916 the Battalion was moved to Mistley and stripped of most of the NCO's and men who were drafted to front line Battalions to be replaced by new recruits.
In August 1916 the Battalion moved to Foxhall Camp at Ipswich and then in November to Faversham in Kent.
During this period the new men were trained and unsuitable men transferred to the Labour Corps.
By April 1917 the Battalion were once again up to Home Defence and so were returned to Little Clacton and then in October 1917 given the responsibility for home defence at the Hollesley Bay coastline in Suffolk.
The Battalion capability was beefed up with the issue of Trench mortars and an artillery detachment under the new command of Lieut-Colonel C W W Burrell.
In April 1918 the command moved to Bawdsey and in February 1919 to Colchester prior to closure in April 1919.
