1953 floods: ‘Water came up to the third floor of our home’

The flood came without warning in the dead of night on January 31.

The north of the district was hit first as the tidal wave of water raced up the River Stour, smashing beach huts at Wrabness before slamming into Manningtree and Mistley.

Most Harwich residents were asleep in their beds when the deluge struck.

More than 1,000 homes had to be evacuated as water levels reached 15ft, while 50,000 acres of farm land was left submerged.

The staff at the Harwich Transit Camp brought dozens of boats to the flood water in order to transport hundreds of residents over to their camp where they fed evacuees and opened the dining hall as a clothing relief centre.

The water flooded East Street and the lower part of Victoria Street and it also swept along Fernlea Road and Grafton Road.

It took a week for the water to subside and the majority of Harwich was cordoned off with barbed wire while the clean-up took place.

Rev Johnson, vicar of Dovercourt, and police officers carrying children through the mayor's garden

Harwich Museum volunteer Peter Brittain was just 14 when he was caught up in the disaster.

He recalls getting out of bed after hearing noises in the night.

He looked out the window to find all manner of objects floating past.

“I can only estimate the height of the water to be 10-12ft at that time,” he said.

“I managed to get downstairs only to find the water already flooding the kitchen and living room and nothing I could do to save the aviary birds that we had.

“I shouted for my mother and brother to get up.

“After a while our next door neighbours knocked on the front door and asked us to come into theirs.

“Living on the Bathside our house had an ‘airy’ (rooms below ground level) and second floor entrance so we managed to get from one house to the other.

“The lady next door was bedridden so she had to be taken up stairs to the next level of the house.

Visit - sanitary inspector of Harwich Mr A E Price tours the Bathside area of Harwich after the 1953 flood

“How that was carried out I do not know - it was not an easy job.

“At about midnight the water was nearly up to the third floor but as high tide had passed we were lucky the water stopped coming any higher.

“It was now a question of waiting for the water to recede.

“Next morning, I cannot remember the exact time, I was rescued by boat and taken to higher ground before being walked to Dovercourt, via the railway bridge, to awaiting transport, which took me, and others, to the Transit Camp two miles inland, where we were fed and watered.

“I stayed for about five days, sleeping on the floor, until eventually I found out where my mother had been staying so joined her above the Bakers Shop, at the top of Crown Lane.

“There we stayed for a few months before buying a house in Victoria Street.

“In the meantime, when we were allowed back to our flooded house, to collect anything serviceable, it was found that the electric meter had been broken into and all the shillings from the meter gone.”

Harwich Town Council is marking the 70th anniversary of the disaster with a solemn service at St Nicholas Church on Wednesday, February 1.

It will be followed by the official opening of the Flood Memorial Garden and rededication of the Flood Memorial sundial.

•  HARWICH Museum is hosting a special exhibition between January 31 to February 4, including a talk by historian David Whittle on January 31 at 11am.

The Essex Records Office will also be at the Museum on Saturday, February 4, from 10am to 4pm with various items and recording from the time, as well as maps, film and voice recordings.