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

Yearly Archives: 2013

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

Auxiliary Units
The Auxiliary Units or GHQ Auxiliary Units were specially trained, highly secret units created by the United Kingdom […]

January 3, 2013 in WWII Defensive Structures by Tim Denton

Flame Fougasse
Key Facts The Flame Fougasse is a method of projecting a beam of burning sticky fuel in a […]

January 3, 2013 in Home Front Sites / WWII Defensive Structures by colin

Triumph Motorbike Pillbox
Under all that 1/4″ steel plate is a Triumph WO-3SW cica 1939 350cc single side valve. Possiblly the […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Mowlem 6 Pounder Drum Pillbox Shalford Surrey
Tillingbourne Brook, East Shalford Lane, Ngr TQ 012474 On a section of GHQ Line B near Shalford […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

Yarnold Sangar
Key Facts No doubt many of you will have noticed the large number of Concrete `Pipe` type pillboxes […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Tett Turret
Key facts Tett turrets at RAF Hornchurch, Essex The former airfield at RAF Hornchurch in Essex boasts the […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Seagull Trench
Airfield Defence Pillbox The first thing that people say when they see a Seagull Trench is “Look at […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Pillbox Gun Mounts
Turnbull Mounts Turnbull mounts were not exclusively used for mounting Vickers machine-guns but Brens, Lewis, water cooled Brownings […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Pre-Fab Pillbox
Key Facts

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Pickett-Hamilton Fort
Key Facts The ‘Lifting & Turning Fort’ In the summer of 1940 many engineering companies approached government departments […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by Tim Denton

Mushroom Pillbox
Key Facts Circular Design 360 degree field of fire low profile Gun mounted on railed mounting Usually found […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

EXDO Posts
Extended Defence Officer Posts The function of EXDO (or, equally valid for this context. XDO) in the Royal […]

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

Bison Mobile Pillbox
Key Facts

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

Beehive Pillbox
Key Facts See The Northumberland Beehive Pillbox for more details

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

Allan-Williams Turret
Key facts Allan-Williams Turrets at Bembridge Fort, Isle of Wight in 1988Photographs Kevin Briggs

January 3, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs part 1 A - N by Tim Denton

The Atlantic Wall
A ‘Beginners’ Guide for visitors As a fairly regular Visitor to the Pas-De-Calais I decided one day to […]

January 3, 2013 in War Walks by Tim Denton

Offchurch Bombing Decoy Site
Having decided to visit the Bombing Decoy Site at Offchurch we travelled eastwards along the Grand Union Canal […]

January 3, 2013 in War Walks by Tim Denton

Hong Kong Wong Nai Chung Gap Defences
WW2 History Trail in Hong Kong by Graham G. Matthews In Hong Kong This walk traces the battle […]

January 3, 2013 in War Walks by Tim Denton

Napton to Priors Hardwick Defences
Myself and two friends decided to investigate the canal between Napton and Priors Hardwick which formed part of […]

January 3, 2013 in War Walks by Tim Denton

Dorking GHQ Line B
WW2 Defences beside the River Mole After an early morning visit to Dorking my wife and I decided […]

January 3, 2013 in War Walks by Tim Denton

Tim & Graham with a replica Vickers Machine gun in one of the open emplacements — Abbotsbury Beach Defences
A Walk Along Chesil Beach Abbotsbury Open Machine Gun Emplacements & Defences NGR: SY5665984083 & SY5666484097 During August […]

January 3, 2013 in War Walks by Tim Denton