Wanstead Flats History Walks No. 3: The Flats at War

This walk includes many acres of common land, now used for recreation and sport.
During the Second World War (1939-1945) Wanstead Flats were
extensively used for defensive purposes and looked quite different to what they are today. Anti-aircraft guns, rocket launchers, huge range finders and searchlights were deployed here, together with barrage balloons, which were used to deter enemy aircraft from low-level bombing. When the invasion of Europe (D-Day) was imminent, the Flats were used as an assembly point for Allied troops and vehicles, so they had a prominent part to play in the defence of London and in the offensive against Germany. Both Italian and German prisoners of war were brought into Britain in their thousands, and some were confined in two PoW camps between Lake House Road and Centre
Road.

Published by Leyton & Leytonstone Historical Society