WW1 and WW2 Defences - Suffolk and beyond

As the vegetation begins to die back, it's back to trench mapping field work. As in previous years this will form the baulk of posts over the winter. Unless you are really interested in practice field works, these posts could be quite boring as one hole in the ground looks like another! So I thought I would start with what I think is an interesting survival. What makes this crawl trench system interesting is the surviving wire pickets. A line of long screw pickets and short pickets remain, without doubt the remains of a double apron wire fence. So assuming this earth work was dug for training purposes (to date I have found no Field force localities in the area), it would seem likely that wire was erected as part of the training in constructing this defence post. Above: GPS plan showing the Crawl Trench system and the remains of the double apron fence. Bottom photo shows the general area  - the trench system is in the area of the gorse scrub and its easy to see how the position, ...

The last post on the section of the Corps Line from Elmswell to Euston which I visited back in September. This post will look at the remains of the line from Ixworth to Euston. Along this section of the line, the River Black Bourn formed the anti-tank obstacle and the line followed this river from Ixworth to Barnham. Above: Corps Line, Ixworth to Barnham Going north from Ixworth the first remaining pillbox can be found at Ixworth Thorpe, which was a defended place with 24 members of the Home Guard from "C" Coy, 2 Battalion Suffolk Home Guard.  Above: Type 24 pillbox, Ixworth Thorpe, incorporated into a haystack on my visit! Next up is a pillbox guarding a bridge over the Black Bourn at Fakenham Magna. This is completely overgrown and being in a private garden, there was no access to it. Pillbox guarding a river crossing at Fakenham Magna. The pillbox is completely covered in vegetation and is just behind the bridge on the left hand side of the photo. South of Euston ...

This post will look at some of the remains of the Corps Line from Stowlangtoft to Ixworth. Ixworth itself was a Category B Nodal Point (I need to update the website page on Nodal Points to explain the categories for Eastern Command) and was garrisoned by men from "C" Coy, 2nd Battalion Suffolk Home Guard. As at 1941 the garrison strength was listed as 49 men with 34 rifles, six Browning light automatic rifles, three machine guns, two sub machine guns and two Northover projectors. In addition it was considered that an additional company of infantry and one troop of anti-tank guns would be necessary to hold Ixworth if it was attacked. From Ixworth north to Euston (to be covered in future posts) the River Black Bourn forms an obvious anti-tank obstacle. At Stowlangtoft (a category C Nodal Point and in 1941 garrisoned by 28 men also from "C" Coy 2nd Battalion Suffolk Home Guard, with 20 rifles, two Browning light automatics and one machine gun) two Type 22 pillboxes ca...

The first of a few posts on the Corps Line. This ran from River Orwell to Ipswich - hence River Gipping to Haughley - hence approx Tostock - hence river line to junction with Little Ouse NW of Euston. This Stop Line is often referred to the east arm of the Eastern Command Line, however I have found no reference to this in files at TNA so will refer to it as the Corps Line as the documents I've seen do so. Of the Stop Lines in Suffolk  the Command Line and the Corps Line were the only ones planned to be developed into defensive lines with priority being given to the Command Line. As work was more or less halted on inland Stop Lines in Sept / Oct 1940 the Corps Line was probably never developed as planned. It is certainly much weaker than the Command Line with 'bullet proof' Type 22 and 24 pillboxes only which were also much less densely sited  than on the Command line. The Corps Line would also  seem never to have reached the stage of development in depth as on the Comm...