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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