Beacon Hill to Hogs Hatch - Aldershot Command (heavy report)

[sennelager66]

Back out there for two days catching up with areas that i couldn't get to previously due to time and weather. Skoyen had made it slightly easier for me to find the ones i missed but those classifications and locations on the DoB made it hard to located them. The defences in this area are concentrated and vast and will still take a few visits to get to reach all the pillboxes. Those locations that are in need of correction or that appear to not exist have GPS co-ordinates next to them on the report. Some of the reference codes could be incorrect so apologies if this is so. Where possible i have taken the data base entry as the guide on information previously supplied. An interesting few days out hunting and there are still surprises to be found out there. Again this area is to be covered by me in the near future.

S0016755

S0007850

S0007837 (possibly)

Sat behind the previous pillbox and facing south.

VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0007835(again possibly)

Three heavily buried emplacements which are so buried they are part of a path and cycle route through the woods. Southern facing and giving a commanding fire over the drop off of Beacon Hill woods.

VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0007832

VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0007833

VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0007834

S0007836 (possibly)

Sat off the path immediately off Beacon Hill Road. East facing.
51°14'39"N, 0°49'26"W

Modern trench, gun pit.
Sat off just to the south east of the above pillbox.

Observation pit.

S0009840

S0009831

S0007840

S0007841
Incorrectly located on GE. The correct location is 51°14'14.20"N, 0°49'25.60"W

Sat high on the bank on the the opposite bank to the MOD training area.
51°14'45.22"N, 0°49'28.34"W

Day 2

S0009814
Sat up on the bank of the A287 and thankfully not demolished when the road was redeveloped. S0009812 - opposite sadly became a victim of such development. 9814 was a git to get too having to negotiate the ferns and brambles to get up the steep bank to it.

S0009824

Sat at the top of Dora's Green Lane and on the junction of Heath lane. S0009826 appears to have been removed as the owner of the property was kind enough to allow me to view into the property. I was lucky to find this out as the owner was leaving his gated property as i walked past. Nothing ventured and nothing gained.

Unknown persons have been in decorating the pillbox and attempting to cover up the usual wanton graffiti.

The only embrasure i had the chance to tidy up a little.

Opposite this pillbox was apparently another pillbox. The only information i could glean about this was it was a gun pit and faced out towards the A287. This was removed after the war ended if the information is correct.

Part of the base of a removed pillbox at the junction of Redlands lane and The Hollow.
51°14'09.26"N, 0°50'38.33"W

It was at this point i sought permission to view on the field surrounds and was informed that there were four pillboxes in the woods and not the three that are currently marked up on the DoB layer. Richard - the land owner was extremely helpful, assisting me with additional information (Canadians built the AT ditches and the Irish workmen built the Pillboxes). After walking around the pillboxes i caught back up with Richard and we sat down chewing the fat over the defences and he was certainly enthusiastic. He remembered playing in the emplacements when he was a child and pointed me to another removed site on the side of Redlands road. He also mentioned the home guard were billeted up to the left of Redlands road up the gravel road which leads up to Dora's Green Lane.

S0011059

AR wall removed.

Not marked up on GE.
51°14'12.70"N, 0°50'32.39"W

S0011060

S0011061
I had to be careful with this one. Hopefully not to anger the bees in the hive on the pillbox.

Taking a drive up Odiham Road and parking up in Heathyfields Lane i then had no option but to continue on foot from this point. Back to tromping around in the head height ferns. Again this area is in need of some corrections. In the triangular copse i could only find 2 type 24 pillboxes and these were set fairly close to each other.

S0009860
Set in low and buried this pillbox - like the other was blocked off with corrugated sheeting. Unlike the other though i did not get into this one and shot through the embrasures. It needed clearing though so out come the secateurs again.

S0009858 (possibly)
51°13'56.43"N, 0°48'49.71"W
Main field of fire - NNE and sat close to the edge of the copse of trees.

Sat in the woods on the opposite side of Old Park Lane are two more type 24 pillboxes. One marked up but unidentified and the other which has not been entered on the DoB.

S0010127
Correct location : 51°13'52.79"N, 0°48'51.68"W

Not marked up on the DoB layer.
Type 24 with the AR wall removed.
51°13'56.86"N, 0°48'53.89"W

Adapted to take a sealed door, the door was thankfully off it's hinges. Due to the proximity of the house to the rear i could not get full surround shots of the pillbox.

Heading out down the end of a path and spotting what is classed on the DoB as two type 28's side by side this again needs to be readjusted. This is a Vickers but without the gun table as there is very little clearance inside which would just need the Vickers Tripod. Facing west over the field and sat at the rear of a property. The internals are very clean and aside from the head clearance - is the cleanest Vickers i have seen. Time to take stock and a breather.

Location : 51°13'49.44"N, 0°48'56.94"W

Finally two more pillboxes that are not marked up on the DoB layer.

51°13'52.11"N, 0°48'59.36"W

Again a type 24

Heavily flooded.

The second pillbox
Location : 51°13'55.79"N, 0°49'04.13"W

Despite being undermined by a small stream that was running under the foundations, the internals were relatively dry.

 

[night crawler]

Nice work there but I doubt Skoyen footprints would have been cold whe you gotthere.

 

[TeeJF]

When I was a kid I'd get all excited by the sight of a random pill box in a field somewhere round here where I live because it was such a rarity. Then I found this site and someone gave me The Defence of Britain overlay... if I enable it I get a blob of red shaped roughly like Britain! It never ceases to amaze me how much of this stuff there still is lurking in the woods near where the elephants go for parachute practise!

Well done mate!

 

[sennelager66]

Nice work there but I doubt Skoyen footprints would have been cold whe you gotthere.

I agree with that but as it was initially part of and is connected to an area i am currently documenting I thought long and hard about documenting that range of pillboxes on this site. This site is not the only way i document my findings. Therefore it will be a catch all record of my findings. As i said - it was areas missed off due to the rain and being me i am not going to miss out on pillboxes because i am not the first to cover them.

I am sure between myself and Skoyen with a good nose for a pillbox we can cover this area effectively. There are loads out there not covered on the Dob and all is good if we manage to accurately document these. At the rate the woodland debris is covering them they will be lost in another 20 years or so.

 

[RichCooper]

Keep up the good work mate

 

[sennelager66]

I was thinking of getting back out there today but clothes washing and real life got in the way. A little more time to do some research.

 

[flyboys90]

That was a cracking report,you must have covered some miles? was that an aerial in one shot with the cables running inside? if so what was its use Ham Radio?

 

[sennelager66]

Distance wise and concentration wise is is a fairly compact area i am researching. The hardest and most time consuming part of it all is getting through some of the wooded areas. Slow going as you could possibly imagine.
I hate holly bushes with a vengeance now. Further up the road is the old military barracks which certainly looks enticing.

Flyboy:

The transmitter is all meaningless to me.

http://www.ukrepeater.net/repeaters/gb3fn.htm

 

[Skoyen89]

Great post Sennelager. I was marking this area up on my map to do this weekend. I'm amazed at those you manage to find that are not on the DOB database - that for me is the real challenge. I also never seem to come across landowners (even when I want to!) but those I have spoken to are generally useful and interested in talking.

I have some documents from Kew on this area but altho they show the line and how it was manned they don't really show individual pillboxes. I tend to look for where the line went and then think of where i would site the defences....sometimes it works!!

Now I need to work out how to convert the refs you give into Ordnance Survey refs - altho I have a Garmin GPS system sat on the shelf I have never used it!

All the best
Skoyen

 

[sennelager66]

Thanks for your assist Skoyen. I appreciated the visuals and this greatly helped me in knowing what to look for. The area of Beacon Hill might have more to offer as i am sure there must be more pillboxes further north from where we were searching. The DoB layer is not too helpful in some areas as we have both found out. I also have an app on my iPhone which shows mapping from 1946 upwards and as you say - once you start to map a line of defences - think like a military strategist and sometimes you strike gold.

If you wish me to assist you in your search - PM me and i will be happy to help.

 

[leftorium]

. I also have an app on my iPhone which shows mapping from 1946 upwards .

Which one?

 

[sennelager66]

The app is called outside. How historically accurate it is could be another matter.

 

[night crawler]

Hey do they do an android one as well?

 

[Skoyen89]

Plotted the final pillboxes you found on the post above and these seem to be covering the anti-tank ditch which went across the large field in front of them. That includes the Vickers Box and the final two T24s not on the DOB.

Hiowever those in the woods near 9860 are interesting because that area seems to have been wooded in 1940 and so it would be interesting to find what they are defending. Are they in a line or facing out like Riddings Copse?

 

[sennelager66]

Three out of the four i got to are facing out. Another which is set back slightly in the woods is facing west and would cover the rear line of the pillboxes. There are also others set back further which need looking at. Sunday for me is when i shall attempt to document these.

 

[Skoyen89]

Had a day out today in te Hog Hatch area - somewhat covering the same ground as you did in this report and taking it a bit further towards Farnham. The interesting thing is that I seem to have found some more in addition to those you found and likewise didn't find some - or couldn't access them. Will post later hopefully.

Above you say "Heading out down the end of a path and spotting what is classed on the DoB as two type 28's side by side this again needs to be readjusted. This is a Vickers but without the gun table as there is very little clearance inside which would just need the Vickers Tripod. Facing west over the field and sat at the rear of a property. The internals are very clean and aside from the head clearance - is the cleanest Vickers i have seen. Location : 51°13'49.44"N, 0°48'56.94"W"

Actually the DOB was right there were two boxes but the owners demolished one. They were both Vickers boxes. The good news is they aren't planning to demolish the other!

 

[yortsandthat]

The photos do not appear above?