WW2 Pillboxes UK

[silverhatch]

years ago you only found them all sealed up...
but know there all open and accessible.
in hampshire theres loads to investigate with different types of tank traps etc....
if your that keen pillboxes uk has a supplier on board who makes a collection of various types pbs,wonderfull detailed

 

[Bishop]

Hey Silverhatch welcome to DP. I read recently about a few pillboxes at Hamble airfield in Hampshire that have been sealed so they can be used as bat sanctuarys.

I was passing so I tried to get a closer look at the yellow brick T24 at Shawford, Rode, Somerset yesterday. Theres still lambs and pregnant sheep in the field and the farmer was lurking about so I'm going to have to go back again at some point. It might seem a bit daft to not just jump the gate and walk over for a closer look but believe me its really not a good idea to p*ss off a farmer in lambing season.

B

 

[Lightbuoy]

Hey Mr Lightbuoy I (and probably a few others?) would love to see more pics of the pillbox at Hythe Station, reckon I'll have to have a quick look for it on the Defence of Britian database and see if I can find a description?

b

Hi B,

I'll see what I can do-the problem is it's right by a busy road
If I wear me camoflage -perhaps I won't get see though!
Will be interested to see what info you can come up with -cheers!

Chocks away -off to get me evenin' rations!

Lb

 

[Foxylady]

Chocks away -off to get me evenin' rations!

Jolly good show, old chap!

 

[Bishop]

Heres another pillbox that if it came on the market then I'd be sorely tempted to buy, this below is a Type 24 pillbox in a small bit of woodland just outside the Wiltshire village of Monkton Farleigh, a favourite haunt of mine.

Now this pillbox isn't anything that special though its protected entrance is pretty smart, and the embrasures inside are a bit odd. Seems to me that the easiest way to fire the good old Lee Enfield rifle from one of these embrasures is to be actually knealing on the ledge where with most Type 24's you'd be in a standing position. Anyway getting back to the point, I really like this location, great view, nice bit of small woodland, deer pegging it about etc.

Not the best of pillboxes but a great spot none the less.

Front.

Side.

View from the front.

Not the best of interior shots but see what I mean about the embrasures and the knealing position to fire?

Interior showing rear facing embrasure and doorway.

Back, fairly well protected entrance though another embrasure would help.

Woods.

B

 

[Foxylady]

That really is a lovely place & I so like the Type 24. There's something rather quirky about their shape and I like the way most of them were tucked away into hedgerows. Thanks for that, B.
Cheers
Foxy

 

[Bishop]

Hey Krela Fella we missed two T24's at Sand Bay. Had a rather pleasant walk there this afternoon with my Mrs.

First one.

Second one sinking into the sands.

B

 

[Bishop]

The Defence of Britain Database is a very useful resource but there are some rather big gaps, for example the Corsham area doesn't even get a mention, now this is odd because there are loads of military bases in this area.

Krela and myself have found eleven unrecorded pillboxes this week (and a roadblock). A lot of the stuff we've seen has been rather nice, some interesting variants and some amazing locations.

I'm rather chuffed with finding this pillbox below, it's totally unlike any pillbox I've seen before. For a start its tiny with there being barely enough room inside for one person, two would be a squeeze and virtually impossible for both people to fire their weapons without getting in each others way. The concrete roof overhangs too much so if a grenade or explosive went off then the blast would be contained under the roof, the only good point I can see to the roof overhanging in such a way is it keeps the sun out of your eyes.

As you can see on the pic above another design flaw is the entrance being on the roof, now if a soldier was defending this position and then had to withdraw or retreat then by climbing out of the pillbox he'll be horribly exposed to enemy fire. I guess this pillbox might have had earth piled up along the sides to offer a bit more protection and concealement, and its possible that the roof might have been sandbagged to offer some protection for the entrance?

I'm uncertain as to the purpose of the metal pole, it could have been for mounting a light machine gun for anti aircraft defence? Krela's theory on the roof is that the metal cover would have been on a slider, theres a few big chunks of metal next to the pillbox that fit with his theory.

Looking inside there are two grab handles and rungs to help access/exit.

Looking straight down at the floor. I did dig away and eventually found the concrete floor under three or four inches of soil.

Shot from the front.

B

 

[Foxylady]

I'm rather chuffed with finding this pillbox below, it's totally unlike any pillbox I've seen before. I'm uncertain as to the purpose of the metal pole, it could have been for mounting a light machine gun for anti aircraft defence? Krela's theory on the roof is that the metal cover would have been on a slider, theres a few big chunks of metal next to the pillbox that fit with his theory.

It really is a cool little pillbox that!
I've tried to visualise what you mean by a slider & can see it as far as the concrete runners on the left and the small pieces of metal on the far right are concerned, but for the life of me can't see where the metal pole comes in. Would there have been two originally on either side of the opening?
Nice pics as always.
Cheers
Foxy

 

[Foxylady]

...can't see where the metal pole comes in. Would there have been two originally on either side of the opening?

Just reading through what I'd written and it just came to me. The sliding mechanism would have worked between the pole and the other pieces of metal. Doh!
My excuse is that girls didn't do stuff like this when I was at school, so I'm self-taught. Not very well, apparently!

 

[krela]

Just reading through what I'd written and it just came to me. The sliding mechanism would have worked between the pole and the other pieces of metal. Doh!
My excuse is that girls didn't do stuff like this when I was at school, so I'm self-taught. Not very well, apparently!

The pole doesn't appear to have anything to do with the sliding door....

In fact it's hard to see what the pole has to do with anything at all, it's a real mystery this one.

 

[Foxylady]

The pole doesn't appear to have anything to do with the sliding door....

In fact it's hard to see what the pole has to do with anything at all, it's a real mystery this one.

What I was thinking was that the pole was a pivot. It's hard to explain without the use of a drawing & I've only got the vaguest idea of what I'm on about, but I was thinking that a wire would be attached to the sliding door which would then go around the metal pieces and back to the pole where there might be a weight. Does that make any kind of sense at all?
Cheers
Foxy

 

[Bishop]

The metal cover over the entrance would most likely have been mounted in between grooved metal strips so the cover could be slid back and forth to cover the entrance. If you look at my 2nd pic (above) theres two narrow strips of concrete where the grooved metal strips would have been. I still believe the pole on the roof is for the mounting of a light machine gun for use in the anti aircraft role.

Heres a pic of one of the metal runners that would have been on the roof.

Krela was sat on top of the pillbox while I was inside it taking pics of the ladder and embrasures, I get the snaps, turn around and look up and gah what the hell!

B of B

 

[krela]

Krela was sat on top of the pillbox while I was inside it taking pics of the ladder and embrasures, I get the snaps, turn around and look up and gah what the hell!

Are you calling me a horse?

 

[Bishop]

K wrote.

Are you calling me a horse?

Lol, uh perhaps I should have worded that a bit differently.

B

 

[krela]

K wrote.



Lol, uh perhaps I should have worded that a bit differently.

B

S'alright, I make a better looking horse than I do a human

 

[Foxylady]

The metal cover over the entrance would most likely have been mounted in between grooved metal strips so the cover could be slid back and forth to cover the entrance. If you look at my 2nd pic (above) theres two narrow strips of concrete where the grooved metal strips would have been.

Yeah, that's exactly what I figured, but didn't explain properly, and was trying to say that there might have been a pulley system for ease of opening.
Love the horse pic. It must have been wondering what you were up to!
Cheers
Foxy

 

[Bishop]

I've been looking through Krela's and my own pics of the odd Corsham pillbox.
Since this thread has gone onto a new page heres another snap of what I'm
talking about.

Now if you look at where I'm sitting on the pic below if the metal pole had say a Bren or Lewis gun mounted on the top of it then it would be a fairly decent anti aircraft position. You could fire a pole mounted weapon from either the sitting position like I'm in (though with only a limited arc of fire) or better still if the metal cover was closed over then a kneeling position would make sense.

B

 

[Foxylady]

Now if you look at where I'm sitting on the pic below if the metal pole had say a Bren or Lewis gun mounted on the top of it then it would be a fairly decent anti aircraft position. You could fire a pole mounted weapon from either the sitting position like I'm in (though with only a limited arc of fire) or better still if the metal cover was closed over then a kneeling position would make sense.

Yes it does make sense. In fact, thinking about it, a pulley system would probably be gratuitious to requirements & use up resources needed elsewhere. Point taken and I won't argue anymore...honest!
Cheers
Foxy

 

[Bishop]

Don't worry Foxylady it's always good to hear other opinions/thoughts on how stuff like this would have worked or been used. Talking of pulley systems I have read about a stretch of pillboxes along (I think?) the Kennet and Avon canal which had metal plates for protection over the embrasures which were opened and closed by some kind of pulley system.

B