Pillboxes on the Western Front

[LeeEnfield]

Subtitled a Guide to the Design,Construction ans Use of Concrete Pill Boxes 1914-1918.

 

having just finished reading this extremely interesting libary book, here are a few details,

 

The first Fort to have been built from concrete was in 1865 at Newhaven, on the south coast. (typically, the military 'peers', had not been impressed by this construction medium, even though it was in use for domestic and civil buildings, prefering 'traditional fortification materials such as stone and brick.)

 

In the early days of the conflict, the British top brass were against the building of concrete 'shelters', stating ' it was felt, (by them) that good shelter from shell fire would sap the morale of troops,........who were better off in their wet trenches', :???

 

an idea of logistics needed to build one type 4 pill box; situated in the Marylebone Road trench, facing the

Cuinchy Brickstacks off the La Basse Road.

 

Internal dimensions of structure. 10'4" x 4'9" x 5'3"

 

1,907 full sandbags of shingle

953 bags of sand

476 bags cement

 

This total of 3,336 bags - each weighing in at 60 pounds had to be carried over a mile of frosty duckboard tracks at night.

 

All in all, an excellent book, certainly now on my 'to buy', list :-D

 

 

Author, Peter Oldham

Pen and Sword books

isbn 0 85052 418 0

[Snapper]

Flippin' eck. A bit of light reading? Sounds really interesting. I keep meaning to snap some WW2 era stuff near me on the road to Chelmsford and around Southend Airport. I nearly bought a book on fortifications in Sussex the other day. It was in the Martello bookshop in Rye high street. But I've got too many to read at the moment.

 

MB

[LeeEnfield]

Flippin' eck. A bit of light reading? Sounds really interesting. I keep meaning to snap some WW2 era stuff near me on the road to Chelmsford and around Southend Airport. I nearly bought a book on fortifications in Sussex the other day. It was in the Martello bookshop in Rye high street. But I've got too many to read at the moment.

 

MB

 

 

 

 

Can you remember what it was called. ??

 

talking of Martello (towers),......have just picked up, from the libarys disposal bin, a book called

Towers Of Strength; Martello Towers Worldwide.

 

From a very brief skim through, I'd not reaslised they were so widespread;

Certainly comprehensive,............for example,

..' the Stack Rock Tower, one of three at Milford Haven, was designed to mount three 32pdr guns; The tower was oval in shape with a diameter of 55ft, at its longest axis, but its height differed between front (21ft) and rear (30ft) due to rock level itsat on.

Tenders were called for to build it, in 1850, - the tower being completed by 1854 at a cost of £8,740.00'

 

Will be an interesting read,............when I work round to it. :coffee:

 

Andy

[Tony B]

Want a Martello or dozen?

[LeeEnfield]

Want a Martello or dozen?

 

 

 

 

Is that Lewis Tower, Tony ??

 

If so, did you know that the front section wall, is 1ft thicker than the rear,...........although as its circular,.....:whistle:

[Tony B]

Yes that's Lewis Tower had a pair of 24 pound cannon originaly. The concrete is a searchlight shelter. Just along from Kempt Tower, used to camp in there as a kid with the St John's ambulance cadets.

[LeeEnfield]

Kempt Tower, completed in 1834, built to the standard English East Coast design, and mounting three 24pdr guns.

 

Originally planned to be built as replacement to a battery of three guns sited between L'Etacq Point and a new 'North Battery', and a second three-gun tower to be sited on the conical hill at the end of L'Etacq Point, and named Kempt Tower after the then Master General of the Ordnance,

General Sir James Kempt.

 

This did not happen, as you know, Kempt Tower was built further south, at St.Ouen's Bay.

 

 

Interesting subject,.........and one, certainly, speaking for myself, that I've not paid more than lip service to, in the past.

[Tony B]

Whole subject is fascinating, don't forget the East coast with Archirondel and Grande Maison, mind you dear old budget cuts came in even then.:-D

Mind you the German's built the searchlight shelter on L'Etacq point and L'Etacquerel strong point into the cliff.

[LeeEnfield]

Will do a proper review once I've read book,............which is when I've finished 'The Tunnellers War 1914-1918,' and (finally got it back,:-D)

'The Landships Of Lincolnshire'.