TYPE 27 PILLBOX, PILLBOX STUDY GROUP

BRITISH TYPE 27 PILLBOX

KEY FACTS

OFFICIAL DESIGNATION: FW3/27

SHAPE: OCTAGONAL or HEXAGONAL

STANDARD (OCTAGONAL) TYPE

OCTAGONAL PILLBOX WITH SIDES OF 11FT 7 INCHES (3.5m) WITH A PORCH ON ONE SIDE TO PROTECT THE ENTRANCE

OPEN WELL IN CENTRE IS REACHED THROUGH DOUBLE STEEL DOORS IN THE INNER WALL ABOUT 3FT (0.9m) ABOVE THE GROUND AND REACHED BY IRON RUNGS SET INTO THE WALL.

THE CENTRAL WELL IS SERVED EITHER AS A LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT POSITION OR FOR OBSERVATION.

OFTEN A TIMBER POST AND PIN WOULD CARRY THE LAA GUN

PHOTOS ABOVE TAKEN BY GRAHAM G MATTHEWS AT RAF SHAWBURY, SHROPSHIRE

STANDARD (HEXAGONAL) TYPE

THIS IS USUALLY FOUND IN TWO SIZES:

ONE WITH WALLS OF 11` 7" (3.5m) AND THE OTHER WITH WALLS OF 9` 9" (3m)

INSTEAD OF THE HIGH LEVEL DOORS THROUGH TO THE CENTRAL WELL, THERE IS USUALLY A FULL-HEIGHT DOOR IN AN ANGLE OF THE INNER WALL

TYPE 27 PILLBOXES @WEST MERSEA

BOTH HAVE MOUNTS IN THE MIDDLE.

THESE ARE JUST TWO OF MANY STRUCTURES AT EAST AND WEST MERSEA.

BELOW IS ANOTHER TYPE 27 FOUND A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AT FORDHAM HEATH, ESSEX.

THIS IS NEAR THE BEGINING OF THE EASTERN COMMAND LINE AND YOU CAN SEE PILLBOXES GOING FOR MILES!

EVERY SO OFTEN THERE IS A TYPE 27 THROWN IN. I COULD NOT SEE IF HAD ANTI AIRCRAFT FITTINGS AS IT WAS BADLY OVERGROWN BUT THIS ONE IS HIGH ON A HILL COMPARED TO THE THE OTHERS SO MAKES IT AN IDEAL OBSERVATION POST.

GLENN FITZGERALD

Information obtained from `PILLBOX TYPOLOGY` PART 6 in `LOOPHOLES` issue NO 8.

Journal of PSG

With kind permission of MIKE OSBORNE