As an archaeologist specialising in WW2 defence works I hope I can help with the identification of the structures on site. The first site is a searchlight garage, with a generator room to the rear, which would have provided illumination for the battery. The second structure is a FW/3 type 27 pillbox variant with an anti-aircraft mount in the open center, usually with a Lewis gun or variant. Searchlights were manned by various units dependent who was in charge of the coastal crust in that area, RE, ATS, RA - I am not familiar with this site. The next structure features a holdfast for a gun, identifiable as a 6-inch breech-loading Mk. VII naval gun - old guns even then, much like the 6ins QF added to FW/3 type 28 pillboxes. To the rear is the magazine and crew shelter. Lastly another gun emplacement with holdfast for battery no.1 or no.2 gun. I hope that helps a little. Keep up the good work!
Great to hear from you I've watched some of your videos here on RU-vid, it's good to get a comment from an expert so thank you. Hopefully I didn't make too much of a hash of it in my little video. Going off to subscribe to your channel now, thank you 🫡
Dover is the only place was attacked by German Artillery in WW2 which they used specialist rail guns, the British used two rail guns from a old battleship. My martial grandfather was Special Constantine in Dover through out WW2 .
Yes I lived in Dover for about 15 years. So much history. I've done a couple of videos around Dover looking at some of the defensive positions there. Cheers for the info 👍
here in holland during last five years we have been doing this, exploring the german " atlantic wall " positions from along several islands in north holland, the west coast of holland, belgium, also near dunkirk and further south as far as, recently, normandy so where you are here is interesting to see Keith, nice filming
Here in Belfast,my local Irish league football team, Glentoran, have a pill box in their stadium, The Oval. Don't know the full history of it, but the ground is located very close to the Shipyard and what is now Belfast City Airport, which was renamed The George Best Airport. I'm led to believe that they can't demolish it as it's deemed a protected structure. The ground actually got hit by a stray bomb that was intended for the shipyard or the Ammunition factory close by.
Fascinating little tour Keith, thank you.A 6" gun is fairly similar to a modern 155mm howitzer and when you heard those go off on Hohne range in Germany you can understand why those windows were blown out !!!!!
Interesting video thanks - always interesting exploring these WW2 sites. Loved the story about the old Navy guy who served on the 6inch guns - bet he was laughing his socks off when they fired them and blew the widows out in the hotel!
Remember during the Brave Defender Exercise in 1985 a local East Anglia key point used three world war 2 pillboxes to defend the location. First time came across the Home Service Force.
I thought for a moment you meant that you'd been in the HSF in 1985 lol, you'd be at least 84 now if that were the case. I guess you were in the TA then. I was in the TA in the late 80s (3 Staffords) and one of our Coys were HSF, still badged as Staffords. At a Xmas bash when one of the HSF stepped up to make some announcement or other, one of the lads in our Coy (Mortar Pln, HQ Coy) started singing ''who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler...'' and the entire batallion erupted in laughter. Also remember the chaplain inflating condoms pulled over his head at that do. Happy memories.
Great History video, a little info for you , I am near Thorpe Abbots 100 air base, was chatting last year to the man in charge , he said the German air force would fallow waterways ,, the Osse , the Deben , as they new the airbases were not far from there also, some shed roofs were painted red , by spies or sympathisers, to show the way to the airbases , keep up the great work Sir
Good trip out, and thanks for taking us along. Had a chuckle at the lonely bod passing by on the path, who heard a disembodied voice emanating from the gun emplacement. I'm sure they quickened the pace. Regards.
The sappers used to operate searchlights in the ‘movement light’ role. The searchlight beam is reflected off the base of clouds (like the Bat Signal) and it lights up an entire battlefield - not like day, but enough to make it easier to move around. I don’t think we operated searchlights in the AA role.
Forgive an anorak. Six inch guns were on light cruisers, the old armoured cruisers (some of them) and the secondary armament of some battleships. (I think Queen Elizabeth and R Class) Later when some were re constructed, they were taken out and replaced by 4.5 dual purpose guns ie anti aircraft and surface. Nelson and Rodney were the last British battleships to have six inch guns as their secondary. Thankyou for a great video.
Hi Keith, another great video, I'm over the water from you on the Norfolk coast, here there are plenty of gun emplacments some are WW2 ranges most are firing positions, some years back a Home Guard and later Coastguard veteran told me that the Wash was so well defended because of. It's long low beaches it was identified as a possible invasion beach, if you're ever over here look at the ones at Heacham Snettisham and Holmes.
Been to that site a few times all can be accessed, plus a small railway running down on other side of buildings all the guns are facing the wash, the museum has a Lancaster simulator.
Very interesting. Growing up in Bexleyheath, visited the outside of several of the Thames forts. Coalhouse, Cliffe, Shornmead and New Tavern. I believe Coalhouse is open one Sunday a month. Also some fortifications on the "Isle" of Gain (opposite Sheerness). One had the ring of screws, albeit rustier than those. Pillboxes end up as places for young people to have fun (God, the need must be very great to use those for THAT). There is also Grain fort out on a causeway. But I think that has been sold. There are a few bits to see if you walk from Shoeburyness to Southend including gun positions and a searchlight position.
Oooo thought you were going to do you're rendition of 'we'll meet again' there for one minute ! There's still a wwll radar post above my old town in South Wales sweeping the whole of the bristol channel, the conscript WAAFs who 'manned' it where housed in a nissen hut down in the valley. My late father recalled that the local lads were terrified of them ,a wild bunch and not shrinking violets !!!! The cold war saw a nuclear bunker built where the hut was which has now evolved into the footings and basement of a house .
In WW2 Chequers had a company of 2nd Guards Regiment and the Wendover Home Guard, the older soldiers in Home Guard taught the 2rd Guards as snipers on Coombe Hill and Longdowm hill.
Great video Keith, where I live, close to Aldershot, the GHQ stop line ran through here, big anti tan ditch, and within 5 mins of home there are at least 8 defence positions, or pill boxes, includin a smal lane with the concrete post holders for a road block, this line goe all the way to Bristol. Keep up the good work and the great videos. Baz
The last 6 inch guns in naval service were on the helicopter cruisers Tiger and Blake both retired in the late seventies I remember seeing one in Chatham when i was on Eskimo with two single 4.5 turrets.
As I watch you walking around in the countryside, I am reminded of an increasing phenomenon in the UK that is spoken of in bushcraft sites on RU-vid. That of sightings or fearful experiences with cryptids (Nephilim) such as the Wood Wose or Dogman etc. If you ever get the feeling you're being watched or feel fearful for no reason, that may be the reason. This also reminds me of the numerous paranormal stories I heard as a Sapper and I am aware that many paranormal phenomena happen on military barracks and MOD land. It would therefore interest me to hear you speak on the subject during one of your Tabs. Thank you for taking it into consideration.
A large number of coastal defense artillery were supplied with recovered guns from de commissioned WW1 ships as well as newer weapons and purpose produced weapons, my fathers first posting during the war was manning the coastal defense towers in the Thames estuary and south coast before he was attached to a welsh artillery battery in North Africa
Howard your Father would have been very busy on the Thames estuary manning those defences. And then being deployed to North Africa, bet he had some fascinating tales to tell. Thank you for sharing 👍
Great channel this is. Ignore my silly RU-vid name. Keep up the good work! I'm from Coventry. My family were here during the Blitz. It's close to home all this stuff.
I can still remember going up to Coventry on a school trip, must have been early 70s. We visited the bombed cathedral and remember the two wooden beams formed into a crucifix and reading the words carved on it, which I think from memory was something like, Forgive them lord for they know not what they do. Not 100 % sure of that. And when we went inside the new cathedral I remember there were shiny copper pennies running up the length of the aisle. Hopefully I've got some of that correct 🙏
@LetsTab59-bd4fd Honestly the pride still runs deep. Hitler dropped lights first to light up what was once a dip. He couldn't find it before, moonlight senata? Anyway, my Nan was in her house with her brother (aged 9 and 10) their Mum was out getting drunk and Dad working at Alvis. They ran to the nearby shelter approximately 7pm I think. The bombs dropped until the early morning. The King made an appearance though while the rubble was still smoking ❤️ They were incendiary bombs. Lit up a line across the city. We took a kick in that night. But we still stand proud. (Although Labour are trying to destroy the place) My Nan never forgave them or the French. Unlike the woke culture she lived it. Just like you in your time served. Keep up the good work Mukka.
There are a few old ww2 air bases/fields up here in the nirth east of scotland, roseisle beach, lossie forest still has all the anti tank defences in place along with pill boxes every couple hundred metres, great for staying the night in camping. There are loads of these bunkers, search light bunkers still in place with the paint iside still as fresh as the day it was applied. When you start exploring around RAF lossiemouth and kinloss, thats a different ball game. Just beware of the mod plod. Lossiemouth is where the lancasters took off from that sunk the tirpitz. Shed load of history round these parts, if you know where to look. The locals just arnt that interested. There is a memorial for Dallachy strike wing and a few other US air fields.
I live in North Norfolk and we have a few buildings left over from the Second World War. some are not that obvious as to what there use was. We have lost a good few Pill Boxes to the sea with Coastal Erosion. As you can see there broken up remains. There is one that looks reasonably intact as it looked like it just slide down the cliff as it fell away. I do find our Local Defensive building fascinating, as there are not many left that can tell us what it was really like, as they are becoming fewer in number. We are lucky in some ways that we lived with two Generations of Armed Forces Personnel that signed up before us, and been alive at the same time as then to hear the ones that have talked about their experiences first hand. Which is more poignant now with us losing the last of that generation that fought or supported the War effort like the Land Girls.
Now then, I'm originally from Cleethorpes and have mooched around similar stuff between Immingham and Mablethorpe. Really interesting and ought to be preserved really. Love your channel btw - especially the self-deprecating mentions - you're clearly not daft by any stretch. 😉
Thank you Tony. I'm interested in the area you mentioned, as you probably know I'm not far away from there. Are they the standard infantry/Home Guard type pill box or Artillery types? I think I'll drive up and have a look. Any Info would help, I.e. parking etc? Cheers
@@LetsTab59-bd4fd Hi Keith. There's a quite big AA battery site at Stalling borough which is pretty overgrown now I think. Between there and Tetney Lock there are quite a few of those Lincolnshire 3 bay type pillboxes. The ones on Grimsby North Wall are now sealed up but the ones between Humberston and Tetney are open and easily accessible if you walk from Humberson Fitties carpark or from the path down to Tetney Lock. Iirc there's an interesting unique buried command post on the north side of Tetney Lock which has an underground passage connection. Further down the coast I think there are some positions at Horseshoe Point and there also used to be a quite significant brick and concrete structure near the bombing range control centre at Donna Nook, although that might have been demolished to make room for the seal colony viewing area. All places mentioned are accessible a short- ish walk from places you can park.
Ww2 east anglia was full of miljtary, usaf, raf, rn fleet air arm and army. 6inch is a medium armamend used on corvettes and simular. Ttlships would have 1p to 15 inch. German pocket bTtleships like bismark or tirpits would have 16 to 18 inch guns. Sometimes guns were moved ashore in fixed positions normally had a team of 6 creww. If you remember the field gjn competitions, these were field pieces of 4 inch had li.ber and carrages on wheels used in the relief of ladysmith i boer war 1910 south africa. Hope it helps. Bircham newton was a rn fleet air arm station in ww2 fighter squadrons.. If you fired these gunz naval dngineers had to remove lamps on the upper deck , they got smashed due to vjbration. They vibrated loose on their mountings
You might also consider the tank on the beach, Saltfleetby/Mablethorpe. Boston might not have been bombed much, but Hull was hit a lot, also don't forget that Lincolnshire was basically an airfield, there were 46 airfields here during wwII, there is a reason it was nicknamed RAF Lincolnshire, so plenty of history there.
It's a little known fact that an invasion was desired by many strategists as they saw it as a chance to inflict a huge defeat on the germans. Most of the German high command knew it would be an impossible task hence the idea it was just a ruse to mask their real intentions
In the movie Battle of Britain, Göring gives his generals a dressing down for failing to bring the Englischer to heel, and then asks what he can give them to help speeding things along. The one playing Adolf Galland replies "A squadron of Spitfires." This is a goof, because, according to Gallands autobiography, he never said that. But he bloody well should have.
The German navy put 5.9” on some destroyers, don’t think the RN used anything bigger than 4.7”, most RN Light Cruisers like HMS Belfast had 6” main batteries.
interesting Keith the RN is getting loads of mentions lately ,nice take that video glad to see they aren't unrecognizable due to Morons with arsehole cans keep at it contacted Jackdaw only put me on the next Draft , Later replied. June 25 we will need to solidly jack this up perhaps do a charity raffle or something food for thought
@@JamesAlexander14 This is a prime example of a person who knows nothing about the subject only what he has been told to think. The Germans had their eyes on the east not the west. Think of all those young men who lost their lives unnecessarily and produced no children as a result of that war. Think of the empire we lost as a result of that conflict. We only recently paid of the national debt to the banks for the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century. How much did WW1 cost? How much did WW2 cost? Who are you in debt to and at what price?
@@cycleSCUBA We declared war on Germany not the other way around. The reason we went to war was over Polish sovereignty and at the Yalta conference, we handed over to the Soviets.
Weird it's almost like we used to have government that protected our borders. Oddly enough doesn't this also mean the defensive infrastructure already exists therefore wouldn't cost to implement actual defences.
