Military Archaeology

I like the interior shot alot. It is nice to see them in such good shape after all these years. If they were in this country they would be homes for homeless people or sprayed with gang graffiti.

It would be interesting to know what causes the black spots in the brick of the interior shot bricks. Looks kind of nice.

 

Just had a thought looking at your latest finds. I think that it might be really useful if you took your travels and finds to the next level. Why not use a transit and tape to plot the buildings and such along with cataloging details like wall thicknesses, building materials, fields of fire etc.
Like the bunker shown above. Note how it is built of fired clay brick using what looks like some variant of low strength Type O mortar (based on its white appearance).
For TA 152: The black on the bricks is very likely the result of the firing process to harden them.

 

TA152,
Think TA's right about the spots being the result of the firing process; you don't see it at every site, and it seems to be non-existent in modern bricks, so it must just depend on which supplier was used. The front embrasures on the bunker at Star have dark Blue glazed bricks, which I always thought were foundry/kiln bricks; I've no idea if that is deliberate or just due to supply shortages.
TA Gardner,
I actually do carry both a home tape measure and a surveyor's one, but it's the usual story; there are books available which do give the dimensions for these, so I tend not to bother unless it's something really unusual. That plus the fact that the interiors are usually very uninviting!
I'd like to plot the angle of fire etc, but it's finding the time; I usually have to plan these expeditions a long time in advance so Mrs Historian has nothing to moan about.....,

 

Fascinating pics as usual Gordon - rather surprised that that you didn't risk all for your fellow Forum-members, though.....

 

I know, Martin.....obviously getting soft in my old age......

 

Gordon,

not sure how you missed the Dragons teeth?

Click here Photos on this link.

Ian

 

Ian,
I got the cubes in the Lunan Water, and a couple of weird-shaped ones next to the type 27, but the "Dragon's Teeth" at the other end of the beach appear to have gone.
That field now has horses in it, and there is a fair bit of newly-planted trees in the vicinity. A path running to the left of the picture has a lot of broken concrete in it, so they might have been smashed up or just covered by drifting sand.
There was nothing obvious in that location...but you know the rules of "Sod's Law"
Forgot to mention that the terrace below that type 22 was originally a trench system which stretched a fair way along the shore. Unfortunately it's now been completely obliterated by blown sand.

 

Found this new website on my travels Secret Scotland
It looks like a "Wikipedia" for military archaeology.
I particularly liked the entry for Auchenreoch Starfish decoy site near Dumbarton; the modern aerial photo distinctly shows the remnants of six bomb craters in the vicinity.

 

wow, thats pretty cool, thanks for sharing that with us

 

I thought this might interest people-
Pentagon identifies WW1 Doughboy's remains in forensic first

 

wow thats pretty cool

 

it really is amazing that 88 years later they can identify this specific man by name. The brilliance of technology.

 

World Heritage Status for Jersey's Nazi Fortifications?

 

Wroughton Airfield's Historic Buildings Won't be Demolished

 

Saw an interesting-looking book by William Foot in London today ; 'Battlefields That Nearly Were : Defended England 1940' which was published just last week.

It looked very Historian / PillboxesUK.....

 

Thanks Martin, Gordon had alerted it to me, and by coincidence my copy arrived in the post today, looks good.

 

...And I'm still saving up for it, Martin!
I see that Building Radar by Colin Dobinson(?), another book in the EH collection, has now been put back to February. When/if it ever gets published, it will not only tell the story of radar in Britain, but will provide schematic plans of all the different station layouts as well as a gazetteer.

 

Amazon are doing it at a big discount, Gordon....

 

Cheers Martin-
I'll ply Mrs Historian with liquor and then pry the credit card from her spanner-shaped hands...

 

I'm just trying out a new scanner...
This is a 35mm snap I took of an unusual pillbox at Crail airfield about 12 years ago-



The roof is solid, the extra layer of concrete seems just to be protection against aerial bombs.