15th Div Operating Instruction No 10

Took a walk down to Shingle Street / Hollesley Marshes today. I noted that some scrub had been cleared around a couple of the pillboxes, so had another look inside. Although I've been in them before I noticed something new in one of them that relates to the title of this post.

15th Division Operating Instruction (Beach Defence) No 10 Apr 16th notes the following:

Unoccupied Pillboxes:

Surplus pillboxes for which no personnel are available to man after “stand to” constitute a danger should they be occupied by the enemy. The loopholes of all surplus pillboxes within two miles of the coast will be filled with concrete under arrangements of C.R.E.

Commanders of No’s 1,2,3 & 4 sub-sectors will forward lists to this H.Q (copy to C.R.E) giving exact sites of all such pillboxes by 21 Apr 1941.

Although the photos below show that this order was clearly carried out on this pillbox, there is dating evidence on the inside of two of the blocked embrasures I had not noticed before. On the inside a very neat job had been carried out blocking the loopholes with a rendered finish which the people carrying out the work had marked with "June 1941" and "Bristol Garland 1941" - not sure if that is a name or not!

Above: Image 1 and 2 clearly show the loopholes have been blocked with cement as per Operating Instruction No 10. Images 3 and 4 show where the rendered finished has been marked with the date 1941.

To finish off with a couple of more shots of pillboxes I have blogged on before at Hollesley / Simpsons Marsh but it is always nice to take new pictures in differing light / weather conditions!

Top image shows a Type 22 with a flying buttress - Hollesley Marshes which has had scrub around it cleared since my last visit.

Bottom image shows a Type 22 at nearby Simpsons Marsh with presumably the remains of the bridge that once allowed access to it. Note the screw picket in the foreground.

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