Another new pillbox (or whats left of it!)

Sun 13th: Decided to have a look around Stone House, Aldringham today - I already knew of some remains in this area but was intrigued by the location of a road block in the 9th Lancs war diary, which was supposed to be located near two pillboxes at the junction of the Aldringham-Thorpeness Road and tracks leading to Stone House. On the heath just north of the small car park is a slit trench, probably associated with the road block. Found some pits in the woods around Stone House, which I recorded on the strength of a piece of angle iron by one. Stone House was a battalion HQ in 1940-42 and for 26 Assault Sqn RE, 79th Armd. Division in the build up to D Day. In Little Beauties Wood are concrete bases, which local knowledge states were to hide vehicles/huts from aerial observation during D Day preparations. Also found a manhole in nearby Church Wood indicating a camp being present during the war. Have also found a live .50" Browning round in this wood several years ago. But the icing on the cake for today's field work was a little pile of concrete - one lump of which was clearly identifiable as once belonging to a Suffolk Square Pillbox (the characteristic pre-cast blocks used as shuttering were clearly visible). A search through surrounding scrub failed to find any evidence of the second pillbox supposed to have been in the area. Will carry out a more detailed search when I have time.
Top left: Remains of Suffolk Square. Top right: Concrete base for hut, probably associated with 26 Assualt Sqn RE
Bottom Left: Remains of concrete base, probably associated with 26 Assualt Sqn RE

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Eastern Command Line - a lazy post

As the title suggests, just a lazy post today, a few pics of CRE Colchester design pillboxes in the Sudbury area to round of the thread on this May visit. Also one pic of concrete road block cylinders now being used as part of river bank defences. This is the first time I have come across this type of road block in Suffolk although I suspect it was probably used quite widely on this Stop Line, perhaps I will come across more examples / references in time. These pictures do show a timeless landscape - traditional floodplain meadows still used for grazing, with the Second World War clearly marking its presence. Lets just hope both the pillboxes and grazing meadows will be preserved.

RAF Hethel Defence Post

At RAF Station Hethel, a remarkable defence post still exists. Admittedly, RAF Hethel is in Norfolk and not Suffolk, but the records for this site do provide some interest in relation to the defence of airfields in Eastern Command. Work on Hethel began in 1941 and the station was opened late 1942 and was actually one of the RAF Stations handed over to the USAAF for the use of its bomber units. The defence post was constructed in accordance with a new policy adopted by Eastern Command. Previously, airfield defences had been built as a result of the Taylor Report and largely consisted of pillboxes and breastworks which were large and conspicuous and vulnerable to air attack. Experience at Crete had shown the need for small inconspicuous field works. The new defences were to now consist of small two man weapon-slits and small machine gun pits constructed in accordance with “Infantry Training, 1937” Supplement No.3 – “The design and lay-out of Field Defences, 1942”. Above...

Anti-tank ditch

December 31st Decided to visit the anti-tank ditch at Aldringham Walks this afternoon. It was constructed between late 1940 and early 1941 and ran from (north to south) Sizewell to the north of Thorpeness Mere. Some of its length is still visible today (see map and bottom photo)). The war diary of 9th Cameronians (15th Div) mentions the construction of the ditch in Margaret Wood (vicinity of No 12 Platoon, B Coy). The diary also mentions a pillbox being destroyed by the RE in No 12 platoons area, but no luck in finding any remains this time. The diary would also indicate the ditch was a combined obstacle with Z1 scaffolding. The top left photo shows the remains of a weapons pit/shell slit; six pieces of angle iron revetment still exist - one of the pieces is clearly visible in the photo. Perhaps this is part of No 12 platoons position. Many years ago when beating up the young woodland I found a Yorkshire billhook with the WO arrow dated 1946, so this area would appear to have ...

WW1 and WW2 Defences - Suffolk and beyond

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