Sunday 1st September 2024 saw me catching the 08:45 newly introduced, passenger only, Nordic Sea ferry from Stromness to Flotta to spend most of the day exploring the Golta Peninsula, on foot for a change. Unfortunately this service is now discontinued. Previous explorations here have been car or bike based. […]
colin
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Meet Some Of The PSG Members Working Behind The Scenes! PSG Co-ordinator – Roger Thomas’ interest in military and naval structures was fired at the early age of eight, living at a farm on the former RAF Carew Cheriton aerodrome and having a pillbox as his den. His interest continued […]
This post shows some types of Anti-Tank obstacles that were used during the war.
Loopholed Walls are one of the less common forms of surviving defences as they are often bricked up or filled in to prevent the walls collapsing. Another well known Loophole wall survives in Elstead Village in Surrey NGR: SU937406, this was part of GHQ Line B defences around the village […]
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Key facts Information obtained from pillbox typology part 2 in Loopholes journal of the PSG. With kind permission of Mike Osborne. FW3/24 Shellproof This type can be found along the route of GHQ Line A in Hampshire and Line B in Surrey with all walls built to a thickness of 51″, examples […]
We try to publish Loopholes three times a year in January, May & September however, Loopholes relies on articles from members so no articles, no loopholes. Any concerns, questions or lack of publications please email me, my email is inside the front page of Loopholes or use the link below. […]
Out now the Spotter’s Guide to Pillboxes, a 52 page booklet which attempts to “explain the presence of the thousands of pillboxes still to be seen across the countryside and along the coasts.”Available only from the Pillbox Study Group.Get your copy by sending a Cheque for £5 (made out to […]
On a PC running windows. On an Android Phone If you want to use this on an Android phone or tablet then you will need MapInr This will load the overlay and provide basic info on the map. It works on an LG G6 running android 8.0. Again you will […]
As soon as I saw this almost ruin I just knew it had to be saved, not only for future generations, but also as part of the history of our small village Elstow near Bedford. Elstow was the birth place of John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrims Progress. Whilst taking part […]
We try to publish Loopholes three times a year in January, May & September however, Loopholes relies on articles from members so “no articles, no loopholes”. Any concerns, questions or lack of publications please email me, my email is inside the front page of Loopholes or use the link below. […]
The most unusual and unique pillbox on the Basingstoke Canal is undoubtedly the tall variant built into the sloping embankment above Tundry Pond at Dogmersfield Hampshire, ngr SU777524 . I have heard it described as a tower, double decker and a staircase pillbox, all of which describe first appearances but this […]
We try to publish Loopholes three times a year in January, May & September however, Loopholes relies on articles from members so “no articles, no loopholes”. Any concerns, questions or lack of publications please email me, my email is inside the front page of Loopholes or use the link below. […]
Prefab Type 26 Pillbox 52B, Lock 15, Brookwood Bridge, Surrey. SU943569 Back in the spring a meeting with Basingstoke Canal Authority Ranger Sara Green decided that winter 2015 was going to the best time to work on this pillbox. The type 26 had become very overgrown and filled with […]
Woodsford Castle Defence, Dorchester. SY758903 This square and somewhat part disguised pillbox is built into the garden wall of Woodsford Castle near Warmwell Airfield and Dorchester, this defence once formed part of the Southern Command, Dorchester to Poole Stop Line. PSG Graham Matthews recorded the unusual design for the Defence […]
Fort Brockhurst, Gosport, Hampshire. Ngr SU595 018 This unusual design for light machine gun defence can be found on the perimeter of Fort Brockhurst in Gosport. The rectangular breeze block pillbox is postioned facing south west covering the junction of Rowner and Fareham Road. The block built structure features […]
Just over three years ago PSG members completed the Rescue Archaeology on six of the 18 pillboxes that lay on Ministry land at Ewshot in Hampshire. With permission from the MOD and Taylor Wimpey two pairs of Vickers Machine Gun emplacements and two bullet proof type 24 pillboxes were gradually […]
This unusually tall rectangular pillbox can be found beside the A3023 Havant Rd at Hayling Island a short distance after leaving Langstone Bridge. This defence is a one off design and was constructed to shellproof specification with 3ft thick walls, the pillbox shares some similar build details as found on […]
FW3/24 at Great Copse, Ranmore Common, Surrey. Sequence number 86 – NGR TQ125495. Continuing on the North Downs another unusual built pillbox can be found south of Great Copse near Ranmore Common. This modified type 24 sits at the edge of a very steep forward drop which continues around to […]
GHQ Line B Anti Tank Defence. By Tim Denton. This design of anti tank emplacement is unique and can only be found on GHQ Line B between Elstead and west of the A3 at Peper Harow in Surrey, each defence covers wide open fields as well as important road bridges […]
Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey. TQ 0699562943 This small and unique six sided pillbox can be found within the Brooklands Museum at Weybridge in Surrey close to other British icons such as Concorde and the VC10, although it can be seen close up it is currently inaccessible and has a locked […]
Now available Missed an issue of Loopholes? Want to complete your collection? Look no further – back issues 1 to 57 of Loopholes are now available for PSG members directly from Alistair Graham Kerr.Back numbers are £4 each including P & P.Payment by cheque or postal order made to Pillbox […]
The hexagonal Anti-tank gun emplacement or gun pit as it can also be called is one of the more rarely found defences. Working in conjunction with pillboxes as well as trenches and roadblocks they were primarily positioned to cover points of strategic importance such as road, railway, canal and […]
Hampshire and Surrey Bullet Proof Variant. Ten examples of this bullet proof pillbox survive making it one of the rarest local designs found within Aldershot Command in both Hampshire and Surrey. Similar in appearance to a standard type 22 this small defence has eight sides instead of six, the majority […]
An Anderson shelter still in-situ at Ness Battery, Stromness, Orkney. How to set up your Anderson Shelter Download a PDF of these instructions
A Vickers Emplacement 70 Years On An early morning in July saw myself and Mike Hopton meet up to recreate how a fully equipped pillbox would have appeared seventy years ago. The purpose of the day was not only to see how it looked, but also to record the task […]
This tall but slim profile type 24 can be found beside the North Downs Way above Wotton in Surrey. On GHQ Line B Bullet proof pillboxes disappear between Hurtmore and re-emerge on the slopes above Brockham East of Dorking so this strange shaped bullet proof type 24 appears out of […]
Shellproof defence built for site, Wotton, Surrey. Ngr TQ121494 Along the route of the North Downs Way between Newlands Corner and Ranmore there are dozens of pillboxes that formed the defensive back bone on the Surrey Hills, most of the defences are Shell proof Type 24s but there are variations […]
Along GHQ Line B south of Guildford between Godalming and Chilworth there are eighteen unique shaped pillboxes that were constructed by J Mowlem builders. The Mowlem Company built the defences in their own style, for ease and speed they substituted the normal procedure of using bricks for permanent shuttering for […]
Wiltshire’s Smallest Pillbox. Ngr SU188692 Most people walking down Kingsbury Street in Marlborough wouldn’t give it a second glance but this mini pillbox is unique and very unusual. First appearing In Henry Wills !Pillboxes” in 1985 the mini defence appears to have been built over a bricked up doorway leading […]
From the Manual Of Field Engineering Vol. 1 (All Arms) 1933 comes a description of how and when to build the type of emplacement described here. CHAPTER IX. PROTECTIVE WORKS 36. Machine-gun emplacements 1. General. In mobile warfare there will seldom be time or material for elaborate emplacements, and guns […]
Netley Park House, North Downs, Shere. GHQ Line B Rescue Archaeology Ngr TQ079486 At the end of January 2012 Rob Hewer who leads the National Trust team that looks after the North Downs Way invited us over help to carry out some essential clearance work around and in a type […]
Constructing Winterton-On-Sea’s WWII Anti-Invasion Defences A Personal Perspective, By John Green MBE I am recalling these events from 60 years ago but can assure you that they are as accurate as possible. The Company who did the construction work was: May Gurney & Co Ltd, Construction Engineers, Trowse, Norwich. This company […]
Cuckmere Haven’s One Man Pillbox Variants Ngr TV520977 and 521977 Within the Seven Sisters country park there are two very small and easily missed miniature pillboxes, both are highly unusual and possibly one man defence posts. .Sitting in the side of the east valley this small rectangular defence is partially covered by […]
Cuckmere Haven Variant Machine Gun Emplacements There are three of this local design variant to be found within the Seven Sisters country park near Seaford in East Sussex, two are accessible and the other is sealed with a door. The specification is similar to a standard Vickers Machine gun emplacement with […]
Aldershot Command Spigot Mortar Base. Black Bridge, Hook, Hampshire. SU718537 This project had taken several years to come to fruition but during the last 12 months, after many letters, phone calls and a site meeting permission was granted by Natural England and the Hampshire and IOW Trust who manage the […]
Ngr SU832554 This type 22 variant pillbox situated alongside the main south coast line at Cove near Farnborough would have given all round fire covering the adjacent railway bridge and Cove Rd. Its position is close to Fleet Pond bridge and also faces northwest on to the A3013 Fleet to […]
Trenches from both world wars are pretty rare to find in good condition after nearly 100 years in the open air.