Skip to main content

Diver Battery S3 and new direction of research

Thought I would do a quick post on what I think are the remains of 'clutter screens' for Diver battery S3 before they disappear altogether! This battery consisted of four 3.7" anti-aircraft guns. I have already mentioned 'clutter screens' on an earlier post, and suspect they were gun-laying mats, to create a false horizon or fixed datum for gun-laying radar. It was about two yrs ago these remains first appeared at Thorpeness Common due to cliff erosion. They would appear to be the base of the scaffolding support for the chicken wire;  presumably when the battery site was removed at the end of the war the scaffolding just being cut off at ground level. Remains of the chicken wire can still be seen, although no sign of the metal bands and rods that I posted about in the blog on Diver site S1 (although remains of these can be found further west on the track running past the common). Not much exists in the remains of the accommodation camp - a few concrete bases for huts and the odd drain manhole.
Also took some more photos of this pillbox (a Suffolk Square) at Sizewell - I am still puzzled about the odd  'arched' embrasures (right hand side in photo 5 and 6) with another two on the east side of the pillbox. As can be seen from the photo of the interior of the pillbox, the heights are also slightly different. This is the only Suffolk Square I have seen these type of embrasures in.
A weeks holiday over the last week, but did not manage to get much exploring in as I concentrated on visiting the local Suffolk Record Office branches - I now have enough material to contemplate a second website - Home Guard (including HG defence schemes) and  Civil Defence Schemes - a logical step really as the Second War (along with the First) involved the entire population (i.e volkskrieg - 'peoples war' as the Germans referred to it). 
Image 1: Map of location of Diver Battery S3
Image 2: Remains of scaffolding - Sept 2010
Image 3: Remains of chicken wire - Sept 2010
Image 4: Remains of scaffolding - as in May 2009
Image 5-7: Suffolk Square Pillbox, Sizewell Sept 2010






















































































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