Various Military Structures, including Forts, gun emplacements & pillboxes.

Lightbuoy · May 22, 2007

Whilst on a day trip to France at the weekend with me Dad & a good friend, I twisted their arms into taking a couple of slight detours on the way to Boulogne

First was to a big mumma size Fort on the outskirts of Calais..............

Could remember about 15 years ago, on another day trip, noticing this gun emplacement, and wanted to pay another visit, this time with a digital camera.
After a few wrong turns, we found the place, near the coast, and here are a few of the pics............

This gun emplacement reminds me of this one at Beacon Hill Fort

Thanks for looking and feel free to add any of your trips to France, if you happen to stumble across any similar structures!

Lb

Foxylady · May 22, 2007

Excellent stuff, m'dear.
The Calais fort is amazing and some interesting history there. Thought it looked older than WW2 but didn't realise it was that old! Also liking the gun emplacement.
Nice one, Lb.

Cheers
Foxy

King Al · May 22, 2007

Nice one Lb, looks like you had a nice little getaway there. I’ve never even thought that all the times I’ve been through Calais that there was more than the bar at the port to explore! Cheers for enlightening me LB

Lightbuoy · May 22, 2007

Foxylady;13270; said:
Excellent stuff, m'dear.
The Calais fort is amazing and some interesting history there. Thought it looked older than WW2 but didn't realise it was that old! Also liking the gun emplacement.
Nice one, Lb.
Cheers
Foxy

Thanks Foxy,

Unfortunatley the Fort was closed for the day

-did think about climbing over the lowish gates at the front, but then thought "the Police carry guns here!!!"

Got hundreds of pics of what I thought was an abandoned Citadel, near Amiens too, I say "I thought" it was abandoned, because after climbing a tree to get onto the lowest part of the wall, negotiating row after row of coiled barbed wire, and happily snapping away at lots of old barrack type buildings, and Army Truck came roaring through the now opened main gates (which were locked when I arrived, with no-one in the guard hut), and I heard some words to the effect of "oi you stop" in French. Being in me late teens at the time, I pegged it towards some arches in a wall, thinking I could hide in a room or something, only to discover a tunnel leading down into some underground chalk mines!!! Waited what seemed like forever, till the coast was clear, and then it took me over an hour to find me way out (was like a maze and was very fortunate to get out without getting lost or being shot!!) :neutral:

Me apologies for the crudeness of the wall photo inside the gun emplacement

but wanted to show the characterture of Winston Churchill, looking accross the channel with his telescope, with some German Officer blocking the lens!!!

Thanks again for your interest. Trust that all's well

Lb

Lightbuoy · May 22, 2007

King Al;13272; said:
Nice one Lb, looks like you had a nice little getaway there. I’ve never even thought that all the times I’ve been through Calais that there was more than the bar at the port to explore! Cheers for enlightening me LB

Ta very much King Al,

We made sure that we sampled some of the local liquid produce too! :mrgreen: