This BISON MOBILE PILLBOX, rescued by the
Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group, can be seen on display at the Lincolnshire
Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire.
In 1940, the British Army was forced to
leave much of its armoured strength behind in the aftermath of the German
advances into France. Due to the considerable risk of invasion from the enemy
and the need to make up previous losses in fighting vehicles, a series of
improvised structures were built using commandeered civilian lorry chassis.
Among numerous plans submitted was that
of C.B. MATTHEWS CBE, joint Managing Director of BISON CONCRETE LIMITED. His
designs included a mobile blockhouse and pillbox.
The example here is of the pillbox design.
KEY FACTS
The construction involved
taking the cab from the lorry chassis and replacing it with a concrete
one.
In addition, a pillbox of
6 inch re-inforced concrete, 12 feet long, 8 feet wide and 5 feet
high was placed on the lorries flatbed.
Access to the pillbox was
via a trapdoor in the wooden floor.
Use of this
primitive vehicle was mainly by the Home Guard for airfield defence.
However, some were possibly in service with the regular army.
The crew of the Bison consisted
of two men in the cab and upto three riflemen squatting in the cramped
pillbox.
It is significant to note,
that, due to the varied chassis required, no two Bison`s would have
been the same.
RECOVERY
OF THE `BISON` MOBILE PILLBOX BY
THE
LINCOLNSHIRE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY GROUP
The remains of the Bison were found at
Sleaford where it had been a familiar land mark to many and a playground item
to many children over the last 50 years. However, few could have known its
historical value. Indeed, only around 200 were built and remember that no
two were never the same.
It was not until 1988 that the Lincolnshire
Aircraft Recovery Group were informed of it`s existence by a local Sleaford
resident, Mr J. Shortland. On seeing the structure it was obvious that this
was no ordinary pillbox. A further two years of research provided an answer
to exactly what it was.
Contact with the Beverley Museum of Army
Transport gave the vital information. They have the only other Bison pillbox
known to have survived so far. That Bison has now been moved to the Tank Museum
at Bovingdon, Dorset.
Further contact with Bison Floors Limited
of Tamworth, Staffordshire, proved that they were the original Bison Concrete
Limited who manufactured the pillbox during WWII. They kindly provided much
needed photographic and technical information.
With the Bison having such historical value
it was decided to remove the relic to a safe place of keeping. With the landowners
permsiion granted the operation was planned.
As the Bison was in a copse, it had accumulated
a lot of rubbish and so once it had been removed the site would be cleared
and restored to nature.
THE BIG LIFT
On Sunday March 22nd 1991, a team from
the Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group (LARG) based here at the Lincolnshire
Aviation Heritage Centre (LAHC), together with heavy lifting equipment kindly
supplied by A.P. CRANE HIRE of Boston, successfully lifted the remains.
The final journey was then made by using
E.T. MORRIS`s, New York based articulated lorries.
Amazingly, on lifting the concrete sections,
it was discovered that the roof still retains its camouflage paint and one
of the can sections has its original wooden shuttering.
FURTHER RESEARCH
Following the recovery to East Kirkby and
subsequent publicity by the media, information came forward from various people
concerning its history.
The most important contact was from Mr
Hide of Nottingham. He informed us that the Bison was used by the Home Guard
for airfield defence at RAF DIGBY, some miles north of Sleaford.
RAF DIGBY was the most northern Battle
of Britain Station and therfore required additional protection. However, later
in WWII as the Allied advance moved further into Europe, Digby was downgraded
and hence the additinal airfield protection was not required.
The Army Transport Corps working from Hanley`s
yard, Sleaford were tasked with it`s removal to Ferrybridge, Yorkshire for
storage. Unfortunately, the condition of the vehicle was so poor that it could
not be moved any great distance. The Home Guard eventually used it for road
block defence on the A15 just outside of Sleaford. Towards the end of the
war it was again unwanted and it was finally abandoned in a copse to the side
of the A15 near Quarington Lane end. The ensuing years saw it stripped and
vandalised until eventually the chassis was converted for use as a farm trailer.
It is interesting to note that the original
lorry chassis was a 1915 Leyland Box Van, complete with soild tyres and chain
driven. A remarkable coincidence was that before being commandeered by the
Army and sent for conversion to a mobile pillbox, the lorry was owned by CAMMOCKS
of Sleaford and used as a furniture van. So, the lorry has always been based
in Lincolnshire!
The group has hoped to fined a suitable
period chassis for the pillbox and to reconstruct the Bison to as near as
original as possible.
CAN ANYONE HELP?
Visitors are welcome to come and see the
BISON at the
