Never poke fun or mock people or happenings from that era - the whole ethos and mood back then is why you can speak and write with freedom today. During the war, Doncaster Race Course had a huge hutted encampment built on it's centre and when father joined up in early '39, my mother and aunt came back to their home town and rented a flat near the course. I clearly remember her telling me of seeing a Regiment of French Colonial Troops marching past the flat, on their way from rail station to the camp only days/hours before Dunkerque - Mum always remembered how pitiful they looked. It was events like that which drove the thinking of those days. People nowadays tend to forget that experiences in the WW1 trenches influenced most of the people planning UK WW2 statistic defences - most realised that troops holding out in these fortifications would sacrifice themselves, to allow their comrades to regroup and hopefully counter attack. This type of defence was to ensure that, hopefully, the sacrifice they made was meaning full and not just a rerun of the WW1 carnage. Thankfully our fathers and grandfathers etc, were never tested in this particular way.
Allan-Williams Turret and Spigot Mortar
- Thread starter Rubex
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Never poke fun or mock people or happenings from that era - the whole ethos and mood back then is why you can speak and write with freedom today. During the war, Doncaster Race Course had a huge hutted encampment built on it's centre and when father joined up in early '39, my mother and aunt came back to their home town and rented a flat near the course. I clearly remember her telling me of seeing a Regiment of French Colonial Troops marching past the flat, on their way from rail station to the camp only days/hours before Dunkerque - Mum always remembered how pitiful they looked. It was events like that which drove the thinking of those days. People nowadays tend to forget that experiences in the WW1 trenches influenced most of the people planning UK WW2 statistic defences - most realised that troops holding out in these fortifications would sacrifice themselves, to allow their comrades to regroup and hopefully counter attack. This type of defence was to ensure that, hopefully, the sacrifice they made was meaning full and not just a rerun of the WW1 carnage. Thankfully our fathers and grandfathers etc, were never tested in this particular way.
krela
Well-known member
This is almost entirely untrue.
If people are interested in home defence during WW2 I recommend a book called "Defending Britain; Twentieth Century Military Structures in the Landscape" by Mike Osborne, which is both a great record with loads of photos, and a great explanation of the plan and just how complex and well thought out it was.
Of course Wikipedia will give you a brief overview too.
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in dover a heavy gun fired from calais battery went through 70 ft. of chalk and a reinforced roof of an air raid tunnel and caused casualties. I guess it was all a bit futile. but people used them in the hundreds.
Nicely done. I have seen a turret before now but never a spigot.
Geordielad
Active member
very interesting ty
A bit different from you. Fascinating.
