Bishop;11419; said:
I was tempted to reply with the words 'Aaaaarrrrgh! Men!', but I decided to restrain myself!
Foxy
WW2 Pillboxes UK
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I was tempted to reply with the words 'Aaaaarrrrgh! Men!', but I decided to restrain myself!
Foxy
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Foxylady;11511; said:I was tempted to reply with the words 'Aaaaarrrrgh! Men!', but I decided to restrain myself!
Foxy
Not to be picky, buuut that technically counts as a reply
funny though!
Damn! I was hoping I'd get away with that!King Al;11512; said:Not to be picky, buuut that technically counts as a reply
Foxylady wrote.
My Mrs sometimes says that or at least I think she does? It all depends on the power of my selective hearing at the time. Not only do I have selective hearing I think I might have dodgy eyes, sorry Foxylady no offence meant I missed your "say no more" comment.
B
My Mrs sometimes says that or at least I think she does? It all depends on the power of my selective hearing at the time. Not only do I have selective hearing I think I might have dodgy eyes, sorry Foxylady no offence meant I missed your "say no more" comment.
B
Bishop;11528; said:
No worries. No offence taken.
Foxy
Hey Sir B,
You're not wrong, that pillbox at Monton Farleigh sure is in a nice spot -even looks like there's already the makings of a rooftop garden!
Wonder how much these babies sell for? I remember there being a former ROC post for sale in Essex -think that went for about £15,000, if memory serves me correct.
Classic comedy moment with ol' Ned the horse -this UE lark is full of suprises!!!
Lb
You're not wrong, that pillbox at Monton Farleigh sure is in a nice spot -even looks like there's already the makings of a rooftop garden!
Wonder how much these babies sell for? I remember there being a former ROC post for sale in Essex -think that went for about £15,000, if memory serves me correct.
Classic comedy moment with ol' Ned the horse -this UE lark is full of suprises!!!
Lb
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Lightbuoy;11893; said:
Do you happen to know what they did with it? just sounds like there has to be a story behind that buy
Ps. nice to see your back lightbuoy
WW2 defences at Chappel Viaduct, Essex.
Hi all,
I first noticed these pill boxes around 15 years back, when on a day out with me Olds at the steam museum at Chappel, around 10 miles n.e. of Colchester, Essex.
At the time, what was a mystery were the large concrete blocks & barrel like objects running from the pillbox to the road. Some fifteen years later, I popped back to get some decent pics, and my guess would be that thse blocks formed part of some kind of checkpoint, and these block were to prevent tanks and other vehicles from sneaking round?
Okay, so here are me long overdue pics from today's visit -hope that you'll enjoy them
Large gun pillbox with anti-tank obstacles.....
Hi all,
I first noticed these pill boxes around 15 years back, when on a day out with me Olds at the steam museum at Chappel, around 10 miles n.e. of Colchester, Essex.
At the time, what was a mystery were the large concrete blocks & barrel like objects running from the pillbox to the road. Some fifteen years later, I popped back to get some decent pics, and my guess would be that thse blocks formed part of some kind of checkpoint, and these block were to prevent tanks and other vehicles from sneaking round?
Okay, so here are me long overdue pics from today's visit -hope that you'll enjoy them
Large gun pillbox with anti-tank obstacles.....
WW2 defences at Chappel Viaduct, Essex. (CONTD.)
At the main road which passes underneath the viaduct and east of the large pillbox with blocks, is a smaller pillbox, perched above the road. My assumption (though perhaps not correct), would be that some kind of roadblock / checkpoint was set-up here during WW2, where any vehicles travelling along this road, would have to pass here (as the concrete obstacles stretching out from each side of the road would prevent the enemy from doing another sneaky "Maignot" manouvre!)
So, here's some pics of the road, with smaller pillbox, acting perhaps as a sentry role, above the road.
At the main road which passes underneath the viaduct and east of the large pillbox with blocks, is a smaller pillbox, perched above the road. My assumption (though perhaps not correct), would be that some kind of roadblock / checkpoint was set-up here during WW2, where any vehicles travelling along this road, would have to pass here (as the concrete obstacles stretching out from each side of the road would prevent the enemy from doing another sneaky "Maignot" manouvre!)
So, here's some pics of the road, with smaller pillbox, acting perhaps as a sentry role, above the road.
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Very nice, seems like a strange place to build that but I suppose at the time every thing was different so I’ll let ‘em off!
Ps. What, err, creative graffiti the local chavs have written on the walls
Ps. What, err, creative graffiti the local chavs have written on the walls
Hey Lightbuoy thanks for posting the above pics, I love the cubes and the anti tank pillbox (one with large embrasure) is a bit of an odd beast, it looks like a T28 pillbox for the 2pdr gun but the holdfast (screws where the gun is fixed) look as though they're for the Hotchkiss 6pdr?
B
B
WW2 defences at Chappel Viaduct, Essex. (LAST LOT!)
Finally, here is what I would call a gun mount base (but am probably way out!)
Also, a few pics of this marvellous viaduct -a feat of victorian engineering!
So, that's about it. Would be really interested if anyone out there knows anything about this site, or put me right on my inaccuracies!
Lb
P.s. -oh yes, the no. 159 to Trafalger Square?!!!..............
Finally, here is what I would call a gun mount base (but am probably way out!)
Also, a few pics of this marvellous viaduct -a feat of victorian engineering!
So, that's about it. Would be really interested if anyone out there knows anything about this site, or put me right on my inaccuracies!
Lb
P.s. -oh yes, the no. 159 to Trafalger Square?!!!..............
King Al;11894; said:Do you happen to know what they did with it? just sounds like there has to be a story behind that buy
Ps. nice to see your back lightbuoy
Ta very much King Al,
Finally settling into me new job at last, and now have a bit more spare time.
Think that the report said someone bought it as a secure store.
Lb
King Al;11898; said:Very nice, seems like a strange place to build that but I suppose at the time every thing was different so I’ll let ‘em off!
Ps. What, err, creative graffiti the local chavs have written on the walls
Thanks. You're right, I reckon with the threat of immediate invasion, each area whacked up the defences in different ways, and in different places. Some of those reasons I'perhaps are long forgotten now.
Oh yes, meant to put a warning about those foulmouthed words before posting the pics! (Me favourite, which just about sums up the chavs around here, is this one...........)
Note the spelling for The "Chappel" Crew!
LB wrote.
Yes that is a holdfast (gun mount), it's for a Spigot Mortar, click the link below for a pic of a Spigot Mortar mounted on an identical base as to the pic you posted.
http://www.home-guard.org.uk/hg/spigot.html
The circle of screws in the anti tank pillbox is also a hold fast but just a different type, heres the pic of what I'm on about.
Here's a pic of the Hotchkiss 6pdr, the type of gun that would have been fitted to the circular screw type holdfast pictured above.
b
Yes that is a holdfast (gun mount), it's for a Spigot Mortar, click the link below for a pic of a Spigot Mortar mounted on an identical base as to the pic you posted.
http://www.home-guard.org.uk/hg/spigot.html
The circle of screws in the anti tank pillbox is also a hold fast but just a different type, heres the pic of what I'm on about.
Here's a pic of the Hotchkiss 6pdr, the type of gun that would have been fitted to the circular screw type holdfast pictured above.
b
Bishop;11900; said:Hey Lightbuoy thanks for posting the above pics, I love the cubes and the anti tank pillbox (one with large embrasure) is a bit of an odd beast, it looks like a T28 pillbox for the 2pdr gun but the holdfast (screws where the gun is fixed) look as though they're for the Hotchkiss 6pdr?
B
I guess that when they were built in a hurry, once intended for one type of gun, were modified / adapted for a different type?
Thanks for the info on the types of guns -to me, a pillbox is a pillbox, large or small, so it's much appreciated that you can identify the type!
Do you have any ideas why there are cylindrical obstacles as well as concrete blocks?
Lb
Hi Lb
I second KA, good to see you back.
Superb pics as always; a rather nice find there. I may be wildly wrong here, but isn't that a Spigot Mortar? Looks like one, but rather too close to the viaduct, I'd've thought.
Cheers
Foxy
I second KA, good to see you back.
Superb pics as always; a rather nice find there. I may be wildly wrong here, but isn't that a Spigot Mortar? Looks like one, but rather too close to the viaduct, I'd've thought.
Cheers
Foxy
Bishop;11907; said:
Hey, now that's what I'm talking about -forget speed cameras or speed "guns", a spigot mortor would act as an effective deterrent for speeding!!)
Bishop beat me to it whilst I was writing my last post. He knows a lot more than I do anyway
Cheers
Foxy
Cheers
Foxy
Foxylady;11911; said:Hi Lb
I second KA, good to see you back.
Superb pics as always; a rather nice find there. I may be wildly wrong here, but isn't that a Spigot Mortar? Looks like one, but rather too close to the viaduct, I'd've thought.
Cheers
Foxy
Hi again Foxy,
Thanks -good to be back. Hopefully will be more regular again with me visits to DP.
Yup, you're quite correct. See Bishop's link in his message.
True about the location, maybe of the station was captured, they could blow up the viaduct? -though it might take quite a few to chip away at those chunky supports!!
Lb
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