Anti tank Island - Axminster – Apr/June 2011 - Lower west side
History
“A World War 2 anti-invasion stop line, facing west, built between July and November 1940.
The stop line runs for approximately 50 miles from the mouth of River Brue to the mouth of the River Axe in Devon (with some infrastructure in Dorset). Some rear positions were prepared to the E of line. It connected to the ‘GHQ Line Green’ running East along River Brue.
The line followed the River Parrett to Bridgwater where it joined the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal. From Creech St Michael it followed the old Chard Canal until SW of Ilton where it joined the Great Western Railway. The line left the GWR to the north of Chard Junction from where it followed the Southern Railway and River Axe running south into Devon.
The planned infrastructure (most of which was built) included 233 pillboxes, 61 medium machine gun emplacements, 21 anti-tank gun emplacements, 83 road blocks, 22 railway blocks and 46 demolitions.
The anti-tank obstacle consisted of about 24 miles of waterways, 7 miles of improved water obstacles, 11 miles of anti-tank ditches and 8 miles of artificial obstacles (eg cubes).
From autumn 1940, twelve locations were prepared for all-round defence as ‘anti-tank islands’ of which 9 were in Somerset - Bridgwater, Durston, Creech St Michael, Wrantage and Crimson Hill, Ilton, Ilminster, Chard, Forton and Perry Street.”
The defences in this report are from the Axminster ATI in Devon. The headings contain the original 1940/41 serial numbers for each PB along with its type and GPS fixed location. DOB numbers are also given for reference where available.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I’m still just mad enough to tackle pillboxes ‘out of season’ so to speak. I went back to re visit some defences that I looked at in April. What were easy paths then are jungles now. I’m used to this and actually got to more than I initially expected. I was thwarted on occasion but still managed to return home with 130 photos.
It’s only when you view an ATI as a whole that you can fully appreciate it. The perimeter of this ATI forms a complete enclosure and incorporates the Taunton stopline on its western side.
A massive thanks to krela for providing me with photos of the original construction plans and other documentation some of which is included in this report. The man’s a gent, what can I say.
These are the defences I’ve plotted so far from the original engineers plans. There may be others to be included later and obviously not all sites are extant.
GE map shots legend
Orange – AT ditches
Yellow – Scarping
White – AT posts
Blue – Barbed wire
Brown – AT Cubes
Magenta – possible firing lines
Overview north and south
Lower west side
S 47 – Type 24 - 50°46'36.80"N, 3° 0'28.70"W
S 46 – Type 26 - 50°46'39.19"N, 3° 0'23.32"W
It’s given as removed on the DOB database but it’s definitely there. And yes, the painted ‘window’ over the embrasure is the original attempt at camouflage (source; David Hunt).
AT Posts – 217 yards running from 50°46'38.01"N, 3° 0'27.64"W to 50°46'32.13"N, 3° 0'30.90"W
S AT 601 – Gun emplacement, 6 pounder - 50°46'43.20"N, 3° 0'30.00"W
With roadblock S RD B 60 to the right at 50°46'44.81"N, 3° 0'30.33"W
South west corner to follow.
History
“A World War 2 anti-invasion stop line, facing west, built between July and November 1940.
The stop line runs for approximately 50 miles from the mouth of River Brue to the mouth of the River Axe in Devon (with some infrastructure in Dorset). Some rear positions were prepared to the E of line. It connected to the ‘GHQ Line Green’ running East along River Brue.
The line followed the River Parrett to Bridgwater where it joined the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal. From Creech St Michael it followed the old Chard Canal until SW of Ilton where it joined the Great Western Railway. The line left the GWR to the north of Chard Junction from where it followed the Southern Railway and River Axe running south into Devon.
The planned infrastructure (most of which was built) included 233 pillboxes, 61 medium machine gun emplacements, 21 anti-tank gun emplacements, 83 road blocks, 22 railway blocks and 46 demolitions.
The anti-tank obstacle consisted of about 24 miles of waterways, 7 miles of improved water obstacles, 11 miles of anti-tank ditches and 8 miles of artificial obstacles (eg cubes).
From autumn 1940, twelve locations were prepared for all-round defence as ‘anti-tank islands’ of which 9 were in Somerset - Bridgwater, Durston, Creech St Michael, Wrantage and Crimson Hill, Ilton, Ilminster, Chard, Forton and Perry Street.”
The defences in this report are from the Axminster ATI in Devon. The headings contain the original 1940/41 serial numbers for each PB along with its type and GPS fixed location. DOB numbers are also given for reference where available.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I’m still just mad enough to tackle pillboxes ‘out of season’ so to speak. I went back to re visit some defences that I looked at in April. What were easy paths then are jungles now. I’m used to this and actually got to more than I initially expected. I was thwarted on occasion but still managed to return home with 130 photos.
It’s only when you view an ATI as a whole that you can fully appreciate it. The perimeter of this ATI forms a complete enclosure and incorporates the Taunton stopline on its western side.
A massive thanks to krela for providing me with photos of the original construction plans and other documentation some of which is included in this report. The man’s a gent, what can I say.
These are the defences I’ve plotted so far from the original engineers plans. There may be others to be included later and obviously not all sites are extant.
GE map shots legend
Orange – AT ditches
Yellow – Scarping
White – AT posts
Blue – Barbed wire
Brown – AT Cubes
Magenta – possible firing lines
Overview north and south
Lower west side
S 47 – Type 24 - 50°46'36.80"N, 3° 0'28.70"W
S 46 – Type 26 - 50°46'39.19"N, 3° 0'23.32"W
It’s given as removed on the DOB database but it’s definitely there. And yes, the painted ‘window’ over the embrasure is the original attempt at camouflage (source; David Hunt).
AT Posts – 217 yards running from 50°46'38.01"N, 3° 0'27.64"W to 50°46'32.13"N, 3° 0'30.90"W
S AT 601 – Gun emplacement, 6 pounder - 50°46'43.20"N, 3° 0'30.00"W
With roadblock S RD B 60 to the right at 50°46'44.81"N, 3° 0'30.33"W
South west corner to follow.
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