Committed to the study and preservation of 20th Century pillboxes and anti-invasion defences – In the UK and around the world

Monthly Archives: January 2013

Building Winterton-On-Sea’s Defences
Constructing Winterton-On-Sea’sÂ Â WWII Anti-Invasion Defences A Personal Perspective,Â By John Green MBE I am recalling these events from 60 years […]

January 30, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

Cuckmere Mini Pillbox Variants
Cuckmere Haven’s One Man Pillbox Variants Ngr TV520977 and 521977 Within the Seven Sisters country park there are two […]

January 27, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

Cuckmere MG Emplacement
Cuckmere Haven Variant Machine Gun Emplacements There are three of this local design variant to be found within […]

January 26, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

Spigot Mortar Emplacement Rescue Archaeology
Aldershot Command Spigot Mortar Base. Black Bridge, Hook, Hampshire. SU718537 This project had taken several years to come […]

January 25, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by Tim Denton

Southern Railway Pillboxes, Farnborough.
Ngr SU832554 This type 22 variant pillbox situated alongside the main south coast line at Cove near Farnborough […]

January 24, 2013 in Home Front Sites by colin

Earthworks & Slit Trenches

January 21, 2013 in WWII Defensive Structures by Tim Denton

ROF pillbox variants
ROF Type The ROF type is a bespoke design only found at Royal Ordnance depots and factories. It […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by colin

Pentagonal Pillbox
Pentagonal Pillboxes Pentagonal pillboxes, as the name suggests, are regular pentagons in shape. This general type appears to […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by colin

Lozenge Pillbox
Lozenge Pillbox The lozenge type is found only in the Northeast of England. The type is an […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Lincolnshire 3 Bay
Lincolnshire Three Bay The Lincolnshire three bay pillbox is a variant form of the FW3/23. Essentially it is […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Essex Lozenge
Essex Lozenge This type is unique to the Essex coastline and is purpose designed to command the flat […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Eastern Command Type
Eastern Command Type This Type is almost unique to Essex (two exist north of Cambridge) and only occur […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Eared Pillbox
Eared Pillbox This pillbox gets its name from its unusual entrance arrangement which from some angles suggests […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Dover Quad
Dover Quad Pillbox The Dover Quad pillbox has a square plan and is 4m on a side. It […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Northumberland D Type
Northumberland â€œDâ€ Type This variant is only found in Northumberland and 17 examples are known to exist. […]

January 21, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by colin

Type 22 ‘Eastern Command Variant’

Hexagonal with central LAA / Observation well. This is usually found in two sizes: One with walls of […]

January 14, 2013 in Advanced Pillboxes / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by colin

Anti-Tank Obstacles
Anti-Tank Vertical Rails, East Sussex. Picture by Tim Denton 2009 Dragons Teeth on the North […]

January 14, 2013 in Defence / WWII Defensive Structures by Tim Denton

Northumberland Stoplines
Wooler To Belford This is the most northerly stop line in the county of Northumberland and as such […]

January 13, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

Two Storey & Tower Pillbox Designs
Rare and unusual designs normally built for a specific location where observation and a clear view of fire was essential […]

January 12, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

National Trust North Downs GHQ Line B Pillbox Event
National Trust North Downs Pillbox Day Sunday the 13th of September 2009 was probably the first time the […]

January 10, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

ARP Signal Box
In the late 1930s as threat of war with Germany grew so did the general anticipation that if […]

January 8, 2013 in WWII Defensive Structures by Tim Denton

Ewshot & Operation Cromwell Part 1
The rescue & recording of two Vickers gun emplacements A sunny October morning in 2009 saw well […]

January 7, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by Tim Denton

Basingstoke Canal Defences
Anti-tank Cylinder and Mine Socket Excavation Blacksmith’s Bridge, Dogmersfield, Hampshire. During the winter months of late 2007 and […]

January 7, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by Tim Denton

A “New” Type Of Pillbox
It’s not often that one finds a truly â€œnewâ€ pillbox these days (I know â€“ all of them […]

January 6, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

The F.C. Mushroom Pillbox
The F.C. Construction Type are also variously termed “Mushroom” due to its shape or “Oakington” & “Fairlop” Pillboxes, […]

January 6, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

Shell Ness EXDO Post
Louise Manuell takes a photographic tour of this very unusual defence structure. NGR: TR 05283 67630

January 6, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

Heifer Law Zero Station
Survey Report Introduction On 29th May 2010, Colin Anderson and Ian Hall carried out a survey of the […]

January 5, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by colin

A Pickett-Hamilton Fort Excavated
Site Name: Portsmouth , Old City Airport Site Type: Defence > Pickett-Hamilton Retractable Pillbox NGR: SU 6732-0390 Location: […]

January 5, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by colin

Beal Farm Pillbox Restorations
Following an appeal for help on the (old) Pillbox Study Group forum from Paul Thompson, four of us […]

January 5, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by colin

Sand-Le-Mere: Defence of a Coastal Inlet
East Yorkshire by Austin J Ruddy The Holderness area of East Yorkshire stretches 30 miles from Flamborough Head […]

January 5, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

Recovery Of A ‘Bison’ Mobile Pillbox
By The Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group The remains of the Bison were found at Sleaford where it had […]

January 4, 2013 in Rescue Archaeology by colin

The Northumberland Beehive Pillbox
Northumberland ‘Beehive’ Pillboxes Edlingham It is located half way between Alnwick and Rothbury on the B6341 road, […]

January 4, 2013 in Defence Articles by colin

Stroudwater canal pillbox review — Stroudwater Canal Pillboxes
http://www.gsia.org.uk/canals/projects/s04_ars_pillboxes.pdf

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

Flame Fougasse: Poynings Flame Trap
Saddlescombe Road, Poyning,Â West Sussex. NGR: TQ 267118 Fanning The Flames AsÂ Flame Trap FeverÂ Â continues to sweep the nation fuelled […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

SY 6043-9720 — Maiden Newton – Poole Harbour Stop Line
The Maiden-Newton To Dorchester Section Down in the deepest, darkest depths of Dorset the remains of hundreds of […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

Auburn Sands ‘Coastal Crust’ Defences
Bridlington Auburn Sands, Bridlington was a very vulnerable, quiet area, perfect for a German landing, with smooth, golden, […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

Building Pillboxes: A Personal Story

During the 1938/39 period I was employed erecting and fitting-out the sectional buildings which comprised the Berechurch and […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

Defending Chequers Bridge
The GHQ Line, Aldershot Command (See O.S. 50,000 Map 186) A Concentration of Vickers Medium Machine Gun Pillboxes […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

Winterton’s Beach Defences
Spigot Mortar Base This spigot mortar base can be found on the beach at Winterton and would most […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton

Breamore Mill, River Avon, Ringwood Stopline
Downton, Hampshire Adapted from an article published in Loopholes No: 21 By Nigel walker Ever since I moved […]

January 3, 2013 in Defence Articles by Tim Denton