Fort Morris

Fort Morris
Photograph of Fort Morris
Fortification

Fort Morris is a military monument in the Commonwealth of Essexia and was most prominently the site for the Rush of Fort Morris. After joining the Micronational Heritage Association, Crown Minister Jack created a submission for Fort Morris to be listed as a Class C Monument Heritage Site. It is situated opposite the Danko House.

It should be noted that Fort Morris was not named after Daniel Morris of New Westphalia, but rather a completely separate resident of Essexia (Who is renown for his world travels in the late 20th century).

History

The history of the fort, which is located in Sandon, Chelmsford, is unclear. Pillboxes were built extensively across the English countryside in the early 1940s in preparation for an assumed Nazi naval invasion. Essex is a largely flat county, and particularly Chelmsford, would have been a clear target of the German attack. Therefore, pillboxes of this type (Pillbox FW3/28A) were not uncommon in Essex. However, this particular fort is presumed to have been placed to stop any advancement from Danbury up to Chelmsford. It was an anti-tank gun emplacement at the corner of Molrams Lane and Maldon Road. It was disguised as a shop but underneath is a concrete bunker which is what remains today. The anti-tank gun poked through the shop window and even had an ice cream advert posted on the barrel to disguise it. There were six soldiers based in this fort, and when the Home Guard became better to equip, eventually every soldier was issued with a rifle for defence.

All the pillboxes in the area were on a parallel to the route of the A130 to Southend, so as to prevent German troops from advancing to Chelmsford and taking key positions in Essex. According to a source from the BBC, at the Molrams Lane gun emplacement, the local people used to take it in turns to provide a hot meal every day for the soldiers. After the war, it is presumed the fort was abandoned and as such the plywood exterior is no longer present, and the concrete shell underneath is all that remains of the structure.

On the 12th of February 2019, Emperor Terry of Essexia, accompanied by his Regent Lord Matthew, Essexian Regent and Chief of the Armed Forces and Chief Ambassador Lord Jack, crossed a farmers field opposite Lord Matthew's ministerial estate, The Danko House, to march upon the fortification for the defence of the Commonwealth, and in the name of the strategic interests of the Nation. At 16:20pm, Emperor Terry planted the Essexian flag and decreed the pillbox as "Fort Morris," the first Essexian fortification.

An application was submitted to the MHA to list Fort Morris as a Class C Monument in June 2019, in order to safeguard Essexian culture against future events and the passage of time. It was accepted on the 10th of June 2019.