Milford Bridge & WW2

Milford on Sea Bridge

Every week many of us must cross Milford on Sea Bridge, but do you know the name of the bridge?

 

Reading the inscriptions in the concrete topping will tell you that it is a bridge, and that it was built in 1923, but you will not find a bridge name.

 

The omission of a bridge name could have been because because the community could not agree on a suitable name for the bridge at the time of construction, ....but that is not the reason.

 

If you look closely, you will notice a chiseled out section. This was where the 'Milford on Sea' bridge name was once carved.

 

The bridge's name was removed during WW2, the idea being, that should the German's ever land, it would make it more difficult for them to know where they were. (All road signs across the south were also removed at the same time.)

 

The Needles may of course given our invaders a clue to their location, but I like to think they never landed at Milford on Sea for fear of not knowing where they were when they crossed our bridge!