What are pillboxes and why were they built in Britain at all? Pillboxes are small structures which designed entirely for defensive purposes. Miniature castles is one way to think of them. They are normally intended for a garrison of from one up to ten men who would have been armed with rifles, light or heavy machine guns or small anti tank weapons depending on location. Some were equipped with a mounting to use one or more machine guns in an anti aircraft role. These structures had a devastating effect on the static trench war of the western front in the 1914 - 1918 war. However, with the fast moving blitzkrieg style of war envisaged later, how could they help? It was envisaged that they would be part of more comprehensive defensive lines, often based on rivers and rail lines. They were built in a hurry as part of the desperate preparations for the invasion of Britain which was expected in 1940. They were built by local construction companies to many different designs which were often further modified to suit a particular site. Many still remain and are often the subject of questions from those too young to know their original purpose. It pays to look around if you come across one, because there are often more in the same area. They were sited to cover road junctions, river crossings and other important places.It was also usual to site them to give each other covering fire when they were in a group. A great many were disguised in some way or built into other buildings like barns and bridges or even houses.

This example is one of five built along the railway near Newmarket, which covered two rail junctions, two road over rail bridges (and one under) and the Southern boundary of RAF Snailwell. This example also shows extra concrete reinforcement designed to make it resistant to a six inch calibre shell. At least in theory! Armament was to be the water cooled Vickers machine gun on a type of mounting which held the gun muzzle at the loopholes called the Turnbull mounting.

These pictures are all of the same pillbox, near Newmarket in Suffolk. Or rather this is Cambridgeshire. Look at the boundary around Newmarket on a map sometime! I am just as confused and I live here...

The extra concrete re-enforcing around this and the other pillboxes was poured into shuttering made of brick. This demonstrates the shortage of wood at the time. The views here show the simple design of this pillbox. Many others were more heavily built and had a brick or concrete structure in the middle inside, to make it less likely that shots or grenades entering via a loophole would wipe out the whole garrison. This example has mountings for water cooled Vickers machine guns. There are five such examples left within a mile. I would bet they never had enough guns to occupy them all!

The above series of photographs show the custom pillbox near West Row (close to RAF Mildenhall), for a larger gun than the usual 2 pounder, in this case probably a Hotchkiss 6 pounder. These shots were taken June 1997 and they are as follows. 1.- Main gun port from outside. 2.- Gun port and mount from inside. 3.- Light machine gun (Bren) port from inside. 4.- Main gun mount close up. 5.- View towards road bridge through main gun port. Distance about 300metres, but this is a wide angle lens. 6.- Thickness of rear wall.

One of the main defensive lines constructed during WW2 was the General Headquarters (GHQ) stop line. This defensive work involved anti tank ditches, and various fixed works such as pillboxes. In rural areas many remain in surprisingly good condition, even now, 60 years on. The following pictures show a typical example from Suffolk, in this case near Long Melford, and showing features typical of this area. The concrete construction is common, but this area has far more with steel around the loopholes than those in Cambridgeshire. This one, a type 27, has the central well with a mounting to use a light machine gun in the anti aircraft role. This means the interior of the main pillbox is very cramped indeed.


View from the road, showing steel plates at loopholes and how close this is to the road!


In the distance, another identical type 27.


The protected entrance is small and low. In this type, unlike in some places, there is a loophole in the main wall above it.


Looking in the loophole facing the road, the central AA well can be seen. Its slit entrance is very small. On the right it is just possible to make out the entrance to the main chamber. The iron brackets once supported shelves and the space inside is very restricted.


Standing on the protected entrance looking into the centre well. The machine gun mounting pintle is still intact. The blackberries are optional! The earth and grass on the roof would have been in the original camouflage plan.

Also on the same line, but near Bury St Edmunds, this pillbox of a slightly different design.




In Cambridge, few pillboxes survive but this one disguised as a park hut, and used as such after the war, is still there. The loophole covers a road junction.




Frequently there are pillboxes on their own, in odd places and it is difficult to see what use they would have been. This one is in a field, overlooking the village of Dalham. It is a few hundred yards from the village and its road junction, but it is very exposed itself.


This one is an oddity. It is similar in design to the type 27 above, with the central ainti aircraft well. It is, however, tiny. Its so small the loopholes are in the corners as there would be no space to use them in the middle of the walls! This one is at Brooklands, now a museum, so it should survive.






This is another pillbox in Cambridge. It is a type 28 with the bren chamber on the left. This is the rear of the pillbox and the front is now buried under junk as the industrial estate has spread to engulf it. The rear entrance has been fitted with a crude door. When I was a kid and played in this, it was hidden in trees and far from any industrial activity!


Paul has been kind enough to send some pictures from Reighton sands. This pillbox, now on the very edge of a cliff, is a bit unusual. It has a line of loopholes along a lengthy side, like some of the platoon posts in other areas. It seems a few of these seaside ones were much altered from the standard designs. It is also a sad thought that many of them are being destroyed by the sea, as this one soon will be. On the beach are some of the other defences, in this case concrete anti-tank blocks.