This black and white photograph shows several empty structures beneath the King's Road. It is a view north of a section to the east of the West Pier. Barbed wire can be seen on the promenade railings above, and debris is strewn across the paving stones. 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 seafront. Mines were placed along the beach and barbed wire barricades protected the front. Following the success of the D-Day landings in June 1944, the threat of invasion was lifted. Work soon began to remove many of the beach defences. The Borough Surveyor's department oversaw this work, and took several photographs of the defences prior to their removal.
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