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

colin

Type 24 Pillbox
Key facts Information obtained from pillbox typology part 2 in Loopholes journal of the PSG. With kind permission of […]

May 21, 2023 in Pillbox Types by colin

Spotter’s Guide to Pillboxes & other anti-invasion structures of WWII.
Out now the Spotter’s guide to pilboxes, a 52 page booklet which attempts to “explain the presence of […]

May 17, 2020 in Bookshop / Loopholes by colin

How to use the EDOB overlay for Google earth
On a PC running windows. Download the .kmz file to a known location on your computer e.g. c:\downloads […]

August 12, 2018 in Uncategorized by colin

Type 22 S0008438 — Rescuing a type 22 (S0008438) at Elstow.
As soon as I saw this almost ruin I just knew it had to be saved, not only […]

June 16, 2018 in Rescue Archaeology by colin

Anderson Shelter in situ at Ness Battery, Orkney — Anderson Shelter
Â How to set up your Anderson Shelter Download a PDF of these instructions

March 13, 2013 in WWII Defensive Structures by colin

Open MG Emplacement plan — Open Machine Gun Positions
From the Manual OF Field Engineering Vol. 1 (All Arms) 1933 comes a description of how and when […]

February 9, 2013 in Variant And Local Designs / Variant and Local Designs Part 2 O - Z by colin

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

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

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

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

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

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