New Years Day part 2

After checking the ponies, decided to visit Westleton again (you may be thinking this website and blog are dedicated to Westleton, but with the short winter days, its only worth visiting sites within 15 minutes drive from my house!) A recent purchase on ebay (FSPB pamphlet No 7 Field Engineering 1944) has led me to re-evaluate some of the earthworks I've found to date. This pampphlet clearly illustrates field works now comprising of weapons-slits linked by slit trenches and crawl trenches (as opposed to the earlier fire trench dimension weapons-pits and fire trenches, which were no longer considered adequate protection against aircraft) - see two photos above from this pamphlet. Slits replaced pits from at least 1943 - does anyone know if it was earlier than this? My best guess is that at least some of the earth works at Westleton are training traces - weapons-slits dug then linked by crawl trenches but never fully completed to full slit trench dimensions. The top map shows one system of earth works I've already posted on the blogs, but fire positions within the trench network are weapons-slits not pits! Hope this makes sense! The frosty photo shows a crawl trench from another system I mapped today. Ps sorry about the layout of photos, but this google blog seems to have a mind of its own in where to position them!

Note: the term pits and slits are quite often generally used - I am using the definitions given in various manuals: a (two man) weapons-pit typically was 4ft by 6ft and in fully developed systems would be dug to and linked with full fire trench dimensions (approx 7ft wide at top). A weapons-slit was typically 2ft by 6ft

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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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