what type of pillbox is this

Does anyone know what type of pillbox this is. i spotted it when i was at work but couldnt really leave the incident i was dealing with. I'm going to mosey on down to have a proper look one day next week. its near the site of an ex airfield if that helps

That looks like a battle headquarters. Should roughly be around the end of the main runway. If you download Google Earth, then when you find the former airfield you were near to, search around the outside areas, and it will tell you what each types of pillboxes they all are, and wherebouts the Battle Headquarters is.

Hope that helps?

Cheers,

Sal

i didnt know you could do that on google earth. thanks sal

I was thinking more of a pillbox for airfield defence, rather than observation as would be the battle headquarters, but I could be wrong lol

its a shame the airfield has gone but as is always the case with places like that they get built on, in this case it was a big japanese car manufacturer

Nooo that's not a Battle HQ, that's an F.C. Construction type pillbox (named after the company that designed it), otherwise known as a mushroom pillbox for fairly obvious reasons.

am i right in thinking theres not actually a door and you have to slide in through the firing gap thingymajig?

Cheers krela, thought i knew too much lol.

Sal

Yay I was right in thinking it was a pillbox, thanks for that Krela

fezzyben said:

am i right in thinking theres not actually a door and you have to slide in through the firing gap thingymajig?

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Nah i think these pillboxes have a little stepped down entrance

Heres a bit about the type in your pic from the 'Pillboxes of britain and ireland' book, Fezzyben... (well worth getting a copy if you haven't got it!)
FC Construction pillbox, this structure is described on official air ministry plans, as the mushroom, the oakington, and the fairlop, and consists of an open circular concrete pit, with 3ft high wall, and domed concrete roof, cantilevered off a central pillar, a tubular rail holding 2 movable, clamped machine gun mountings is fixed below the parapet giving 360 degree field of fire.
widely used for airfield defence, over 50 examples on 25 diff. airfields known.
diameter;13ft
wall thknss; 12 inch.

cheers for that i'm gonna have a look on amazon now

got my copy of the book from play.com, about 15 quid if i remember,
essential reading for pillbox anoraks!

Ooh, just checked it out and it's £13-99 from Amazon and from £9-50 for used and in good condition. That's another one for my ever growing wish-list of WW2 defence books.

Foxylady said:

Ooh, just checked it out and it's £13-99 from Amazon and from £9-50 for used and in good condition. That's another one for my ever growing wish-list of WW2 defence books.

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I was robbed!

Foxylady said:

Ooh, just checked it out and it's £13-99 from Amazon and from £9-50 for used and in good condition. That's another one for my ever growing wish-list of WW2 defence books.

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Your local library should be able to get hold of these books for you.

just ordered mine got it for 12.99