Another visit to Sutton Heath today to continue mapping anti-landing trenches. Finished the first lot I have come across. Again as the maps show, the grid pattern is clearly visible, although unlike others I have mapped so far these are also laid out in a dash-dash-dash pattern instead of a continual linear length (see map showing close up of a section of trenches). Another good look around after, found more trenches to map at a later date and one 303 cartridge, but no other earthworks. Given that this was a major training area comparable to Westleton/Dunwich, either all works were cleared after the war (some of the anti-landing trenches have clearly been in-filled to a degree), I'm looking in the wrong place (you can walk for miles around Westleton without finding any earthworks) or perhaps the main training area was on areas subsequently ploughed up after the war. In my opinion this just adds to the importance of the surviving earth works at Westleton, a unique insight into WW2 Field Engineering!
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...
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