This black and white photographic print shows wartime barricades on Brighton seafront. It is a view east taken from the slop leading down to the King's Road Esplanade. The Palace Pier can be seen in the background. Barbed wire has been wrapped around the railings, and two cement blocks have been placed on the slope. During the early years of the Second World War, Britain was faced with the threat of German invasion. The British retreat from Dunkirk and the French surrender of June 1940 left the south coast dangerously exposed. Brighton's beaches were closed at 5pm on 2 July 1940, and defence measures were erected along the beach. Mines were placed along the beach and barbed wire barricades protected the front.
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