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Deshler, Ohio, October 14, 2020, 11:36 am: Position-light signals: Old position-light signals are showing red lights to southbound trains next to the Crossroads Rail Park. Lights of a northbound train can be seen in the distance.
Baltimore - 051309 - Maryland Jockey Club Post Position Draw and Broadcast for the 134th Running of the Preakness Stakes
A World War I pillbox, constructed around 1916, positioned to defend a river crossing along the North Walsham and Dilham Canal Stop Line, on Mill Road in Spa Common, near North Walsham. This very rare, possibly the only one of its type! Is a semi-circular pillbox ''blockhouse'' it is approximately 16-17ft in length and 9ft in height, constructed from concrete blocks (each one approximately 1ft square).
The low-height entrance is on the south side with the river crossing behind. The entrance has a pair of thick steel doors, secured by a latch when closed. The underside of the cast concrete roof shows signs of cracking and exposed steel reinforcing, and a small section of its edging blocks are missing. There a steel pipe through the roof, in the centre of the curved face. Overall condition is very good, pictures from a previous visit in 2012, the pillbox was very overgrown – www.flickr.com/photos/139375961@N08/shares/W58r2p61Sz
The six loopholes have steel plates, and would have had shutters, there are four loopholes across the front curved face and two in the rear flat face. Apparently two of the loopholes were modified during World War II, but I'm not sure in what way.
In January 1916 it was estimated that Germany might be able to land up to 160,000 men on the East Coast. Although it was thought unlikely defences were put in place and in Norfolk a defence line was placed along the River Ant. Pillboxes sprung up from Stiffkey along the coast and then joined up with the River Ant at Bradfield. Other examples can be seen dotted along the North Walsham – Dilham Canal.
There are three types of these pillboxes in Norfolk. The first is an emplacement built from poured concrete, the only example being at Breydon Water, now lost, due to being buried because of dredging. The second type is hexangonal in shape, often confused as a World War II variant, and there are two examples situated on the Acle New Road (Acle Straight) close to Vauxhall, Great Yarmouth.
The third type, circular is made of concrete blocks, and are the main type found. Many of them still have their thick steel doors in situ and have loopholes positioned at different levels. There is even one that has graffiti which dated to July 1918 and was made by someone serving in the Royal Engineers. At Spa Common on Mill Road there is an even rarer pillbox in this format. The reason it’s rare is because it’s semi-circular, so only half the size of the normal roundhouse type.
Their use did not stop after the end of World War I. In World War II after the fall of France it was decided that Britain had to be defended from the invasion that would surely come next. Therefore it is known that the county was looked at to assess its vulnerability. Norfolk in itself is the closest land mass to Europe and as had been planned in World War I, it was decided that landings could be made on its coast-line with Admiral Frederic Dreyer, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Home Forces in 1940, stating that Norwich Command must, ''…be prepared for an infantry attack on any portion of the coast''.
It was anticipated that the Germans would be able to get off the beaches and advance inland and if this happened then ''Stop-Lines'' would be used to hold up their advance. In total there were 8 stop lines situated away from the coast all the way back to the Midlands. These defences were often placed so they could operate in conjunction with pre-existing obstacles to tanks such as rivers and canals, railway embankments and cuttings, thick woods, and other natural obstacles.
Augmented to these natural barriers pillboxes were built, often next to their World War I counterparts and these were often bolstered by concrete anti-tank blocks or dragon’s teeth. These were designed to expose tanks weaker parts, and they frequently sported loops at the top for the attachment of barbed wire. Any bridges that formed part of the defences were also mined. Trenches were also built so that troops could move from one pillbox to another under cover and would also provide cover for men who were defending the line.
Roads offered the enemy fast routes to their objectives and consequently they were blocked at strategic points. These had socket roadblocks, either vertically known as Hedgehogs or bent that were called Hairpins. These were placed in the road, closed by covers when not in use, allowing traffic to pass normally. In the event of an invasion mines could be placed across these mobile defences.
Roads offered the enemy fast routes to their objectives and consequently they were blocked at strategic points. These had socket roadblocks, either vertically known as Hedgehogs or bent that were called Hairpins. These were placed in the road, closed by covers when not in use, allowing traffic to pass normally. In the event of an invasion mines could be placed across these mobile defences.
Again these were often augmented with defences such as pillboxes and the roads were mined. Bridges and other key points were prepared for demolition at short notice by preparing chambers filled with explosives. Crossing points in the defence network – bridges, tunnels and other weak spots – were called nodes or points of resistance.
Nodes, or Nodal Points, were designated ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ depending upon how long they were expected to hold out. Home Guard troops were largely responsible for the defence of nodal points and other centres of resistance such as towns and defended villages. Category ‘A’ nodal points and anti-tank islands usually had a garrison of regular troops. About 28,000 pillboxes and other hardened field fortifications were constructed in the United Kingdom of which it’s estimated about 6,500 still survive.
The main stop lines came as part of the GHQ line and there were five successive lines of defence inland in Norfolk, based along the rivers Ant (Dilham/North Walsham Canal), Bure, Wensum, Yare and Ouse. Norwich was surrounded by anti-tank obstacles supported by half a dozen pillboxes. The stop line positioned along the River Ant and the Dilham/North Walsham Canal, became known as FII. Evidence of this stop line can still be seen between Wayford Bridge and North Walsham.
One of the best examples of how a stop-line was formed in both wars can be found on the Happisburgh Road to the east of North Walsham. Here above the high ground that overlooks Dilham/North Walsham Canal you will see two World War I circular pillboxes which are supported by a World War II Type-26 and two Type-22 pillboxes. These were used to cover the bridge close to Ebridge Mill. At the bottom of the hill, next to the mill, is evidence that this also had the hedgehog defences which can be seen on frosty days.
The next best example of how the stop line meandered along the canal can be seen on the B1145. Just prior to the canal bridge there are two World War I pillboxes. One can be clearly seen just off the road, the other is situated at the end of a private garden. Evidence that these defences were connected by trenches can be seen with an old trench system running parallel to the road. On this trench system, hidden by a hedgerow there is also a Type-22 pillbox and a shelter/store house used by the Home Guard.
These stop-lines could well have been the answer to stopping a German invasion. The reason for this being that ''Operation Sealion'' the German codename for the invasion of England, was played out as a table top exercise at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1974. Each side (played by British and German officers respectively) was based in a command room, and the actual moves plotted on a scale model. It was found that the Germans had a real issue with moving inland, meeting a more determined defence and were eventually beaten due to over extension, heavy counter attacks and a lack of ammunition. On top of this the follow up landings were decimated by the Royal Navy. It ended with the Germans surrendering.
Information sourced from – stevesmith1944.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/norfolk-roundhous...
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