Skip to main content

Recording Trenches - Westleton

Spent two very enjoyable half days at Westleton. On Sunday, met up with David Sims to record a crawl trench system I have already mapped. However this time we mapped it with the traditional method of tape (using a 50 mtr tape) and offsets. This was a learning exercise for me. Mapping this way produces a more accurate plan than the way I usually map with a GPS. However it is very time consuming - it took two of us 4 hrs to map the system as opposed to just under an hour I sepnt using a GPS sometime last year.

On Mon spent a half day mapping another crawl trench system just using the GPS this time. I compared two methods of recoding by GPS:

(1) by marking changes in direction of the trench with way points then 'joining up the dots'.
(2) by recording the trench  using a track. 

Of the two methods I find using way points to be the most accurate. However if way points are too close together odd results can arise so it pays to make a rough sketch as well to help in producing the plan. 

So any conclusions? Recording by tape and offsets is the most accurate and picks up all the twists and turns in a trench system. Using a GPS and 'joining up the dots' (way points) can make the trench system appear much more linear than it is in reality. However it's a very fast way of recoding and does provide an accurate enough record for my purpose.

The system mapped on Monday would again have been for training purposes, presumably dates from 1943 onwards.

Image 1: David Sims recording with 50 mtr tape and offsets
Image 2: Map of the crawl trench system recorded on Monday - both 'joining the dots' with way points and using a track are shown. 
Image 3: Crawl trench leading into a weapons-slit
Image 4: Weapons-slit within the crawl trench system
Image 5: Crawl trench
Image 6: Two of quite a few circular pits which may be shell holes from live firing exercises
Image 7: 303 bullet embedded in wood - find quite a few of these!!







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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.
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more