Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire: Preparing for Invasion

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After the outbreak of war, changes to the East coast of the UK were visible to the residents of Grimsby as the military prepared for the threat of expected German invasion. The diary of Harry Miller, a 14-year-old boy in 1914, reveals plenty of evidence of changing times along the North Lincolnshire coast as he observed first-hand the impact of WW1 on his home town. Born on Cleethorpes Road, Grimsby to Jewish Russian immigrants; Harry’s diary tells the story of how residents of Grimsby felt they were living on the front line faced with the real prospect of invasion. Harry describes the sound of bagpipes as Scottish soldiers marched through town and large guns positioned on the sands. Today, a small railway bridge off Harrington Street in Grimsby offers a superb vantage point of a view afforded to Harry over 100 years ago. His Russian background also influenced how he chose to record news of war both at home and abroad. Location: Grimsby Sand, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire DN35 7QB Image: Harry Miller (right) and his family, courtesy of Imperial War Museums