Fradley Pill Boxes

[The Anonymous Bard]

Just something that has been intriguing us lately and wondered if anyone could shine a light...

 

Turning off the T&M at Fradley Junction down the Coventry, at the crossing of the first road bridge (sorry can't recall the number but either 1 or ?) we came upon what looks like an old battlement partially hidden in the undergrowth which I think were referred to as "Pill Boxes" and was, I am thinking, there to protect something of significance in what nowadays is the middle of nowhere.

 

We've come across something similar whilst walking further south in Hopwass Woods and in the case of the one at Fradley we wondered if they were anything to do with the nearby old, rusty looking hangers that may have been used to house/manufacture WWII aircraft (thinking that they were too far inland to be part of any WWII air defence system).

 

Anyone know the exact story of the hangers or indeed the pill boxes themselves and if they are related in any way?

 

Appreciate any help.

 

Thanks.

 

Edit: Eleven fingers!

Edited October 5, 2010 by The Anonymous Bard

[luctor et emergo]

The Kennet & Avon canal was a major defence line against enemy invasion forces which might have landed on the South Coast (mainly during WWII), and has many pill boxes along it, some in remarkebly good condition. I presume that the Northern canals would have had a similar function.

[MoominPapa]

The defense lines built early in WW2 were based on existing features - a canal or river makes a good anti-tank barrier. I know that the K&A was part of an important installation and you can still see big circular lumps of concrete that would have blocked overbridges there. Maybe this is something similar?

 

 

MP.

[OldGoldy]

Just something that has been intriguing us lately and wondered if anyone could shine a light...

 

Turning off the T&M at Fradley Junction down the Coventry, at the crossing of the first road bridge (sorry can't recall the number but either 1 or ?) we came upon what looks like an old battlement partially hidden in the undergrowth which I think were referred to as "Pill Boxes" and was, I am thinking, there to protect something of significance in what nowadays is the middle of nowhere.

 

We've come across something similar whilst walking further south in Hopwas Woods and in the case of the one at Fradley we wondered if they were anything to do with the nearby old, rusty looking hangers that may have been used to house/manufacture WWII aircraft (thinking that they were too far inland to be part of any WWII air defence system).

 

Anyone know the exact story of the hangers or indeed the pill boxes themselves and if they are related in any way?

 

Appreciate any help.

 

Some info HERE

 

"whose role was to receive aircraft from the manufacturers and carry out any modifications before delivery to Squadrons"

[Guest]

Just something that has been intriguing us lately and wondered if anyone could shine a light...

 

<SNIP>

Thanks.

 

 

It's intriguing to think that the UK canal system was considered a risk to the nation's security to such a degree that I believe pill boxes were often sited along the system -

 

This is one on the T&M we spotted in August...

 

[Hairy-Neil]

It's intriguing to think that the UK canal system was considered a risk to the nation's security to such a degree that I believe pill boxes were often sited along the system -

 

 

Think you got the wrong end of the stick. The canals were seen as a line of defence, but for that to work effectively they had to be guarded. Hence the pill boxes....

[Radiomariner]

It's intriguing to think that the UK canal system was considered a risk to the nation's security to such a degree that I believe pill boxes were often sited along the system -

 

This is one on the T&M we spotted in August...

 

 

Wrong end of the stick there. The Canals were an existing barrier to invading forces and it was the presence of the "pill-boxes" along their length that made them so.

[Guest]

Sorry guys my understanding was that they were seen as a way the Nazi forces could creep in stealthily and undetected.

 

Also the 'ribbon of light' they often provided to bombers guiding them to major cities constituted a security risk - clearly not one that the odd pill box could defend against but a security risk none the less...

[Derek R.]

The Pill Boxes were defense structures in the event of a land invasion. A canal presents an obstacle to such an invasion force, and to have a gun refuge in a Pill Box covered a length of canal is a useful defense, though how useful would ultimately be determined by the forces on the ground and the equipment available.

 

The 'ribbons of light', do you mean the radio beams used by the Nazi's to guide bombers to their targets? That's nothing connected to Pill Boxes, and prior to an enemy raid a weather spotter would be sent from somewhere - say Cherbourg - whose radio report would be intercepted by our intelligence, and the word would be out - a raid that night (most likely). Following that, we would be tuning in to the German radio beams (not ribbons of light) to discover their beams, where they intersect, and therefore targets, and pass such information direct to the PM. Lines of communication were different then, than today.

 

A good source of information recalling the Battle of, or for, Britain is being told on 'Days of Glory'. Day 1 began on the 10th July 1940. 70yrs later we are up to day 88, all done by researcher Richard North.

 

Derek

 

EDIT: Ah! I see you mean 'ribbons of light' as presented by the WATER when reflecting moonlight! Yes, as were natural rivers and to some extent railway lines. Not a lot you could do about that, and the very reason why night raids were most effective on clear moonlit nights. Also, night fighters were not to the fore during the early part of WWII, Spitfire and Hurricane were very much daylight planes. Searchlight and ack-ack were the main defences against night bombers.

Edited October 17, 2010 by NB Alnwick
innapropriate references removed.

[history girl]

Hi

 

I found the following about the village of Fradley during the Second World War. I hope it helps. There is a web-site on the current village www.fradleyandstreethaypc.org/fradley

 

Prior to World War II the village comprised only St Stephen's church, St Stephen's school, a number of farms and smallholdings and a scattering of private dwellings. During the intervening years the village has seen momentous changes, starting with the construction in 1939 of the famous RAF Station Lichfield on Fradley Common.

 

In August 1940 the Royal Air Force moved in, along with Hurricanes, Oxford and Anson aircraft. Spitfires arrived in 1941 and Wellington Bombers followed in 1942. Alongside RAF personnel training in the Wellingtons, there were a large number of Australians and some Canadians and Czechs.

 

The RAF left in 1958 and the whole site was sold by the Air Ministry in 1962. In 2000 a memorial to all who served at RAF Lichfield was constructed opposite St Stephen's church, which is home to the war graves of the Australian aircrew and one German Luftwaffe pilot who lost their lives. Their graves continue to be treated with great reverence by the community.

 

 

Regards

History Girl

[Laurie Booth]

 

EDIT: Ah! I see you mean 'ribbons of light' as presented by the WATER when reflecting moonlight! Yes, as were natural rivers and to some extent railway lines. Not a lot you could do about that, and the very reason why night raids were most effective on clear moonlit nights. Also, night fighters were not to the fore during the early part of WWII, Spitfire and Hurricane were very much daylight planes. Searchlight and ack-ack were the main defences against night bombers.

My grandfathers job in WW2 was to light oil drums along the River Avon at night, to hide the river with black smoke so the German bombers wouldn't get a fix on Bristol.

[canaldrifter]

There are many pillboxes to be found on the Upper Thames (Isis), Oxford canal, K&A, Basingstoke canal, and the River Wey, that were all part of the Southern Defence Line, to try to stop a German invasion from the south coast. On the Basy you can still see some of the anti-tank 'dragons' teeth' too.

 

http://www.century20war.co.uk/page8.html

 

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local/8350323.The_last_line_of_defence/

 

I caught an interview with an old Home Guard member some years ago, who reckoned that their instructions in 1940 were to hold the bridges 'to the death', even though their weapons were from WW1.

 

I do wonder how effective it would have been. I can't really see a canal as narrow as the Basy stopping tanks crossing, and once the enemy had got across they could take out the pillboxes one by one from the undefended north side.

 

I think we are lucky that Operation Sealion was cancelled due to the Russian Front and german defeat in the air over the channel in 'the Battle of Britain'. 'Feeough for the few!

 

Tone

Edited October 6, 2010 by canaldrifter

[alan_fincher]

This one at Uxbridge on the GU.....

 

Link to a borrowed image

 

Unlikely that this one is to do with preventing crossing the canal, I'd have thought, as it's built into a bridge it can't actually guard.

 

More about protecting the canal, in this case, I'd always assumed ?

[Tiny]

The old walking guide to the Staffs and Worcester by J. Ian Langford dealt with all the magnificent defences along the canal that were meant to hold back the might of the tiger tanks and the German Army. The first was the pill box by the sow aqueduct guarding the road crossing beyond. THe next the bricked in fancy bridge over the canal near Teddesley from which the snipers could pick off the nazi hoards as they advanced along the towpath - or what there was of it then. The final line of defense was a massive lump of concrete which had been dumped on a farm bridge at Whitewick Lock - just in case the sneeky Germans crept through here rather than use any of the roads. The S@W was reputed to be another blue line of defense on the map. I always liked these defenses as they seemed to fit the canal perfectly but obviously someone did not like two of the three.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Tiny

[MoominPapa]

Let's hope they remembered to remove all the demolition charges.

 

MP.

[Tiny]

On a related subject I chatted to the chap who used to stay with his relatives in the lock house at the top of the Audlem flight. One job he was given was to cast concrete fence post to be used between there and Adderley. There is still the odd one circa 1938 left. He was still in the house when war was declared an granddad (the lengthsman) got a call from head office to turn all the metal boats back heading for the Mersey as the metal they carried was for export to Germany. Later the aluminium headed south in the boats to feed the shadow Spitfire factories and those of Bolton Paul in the Black Country.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Tiny

[The Anonymous Bard]

Thanks for all the replies everyone and some really interesting information, especially related to the nearby hangers.

 

Fascinating to learn of all the different WWII aircraft that were there and I somehow didn't crack a gag about nearby hangers... i'm behaving very well, it can't last surely?

[c c]

For years I have tried to think of a use that all these virtually indestructable pill boxes could be put to today, but have not come up with anything worthwhile yet.....

[JohnO]

Rugby Pill box link and more

[canaldrifter]

For years I have tried to think of a use that all these virtually indestructable pill boxes could be put to today, but have not come up with anything worthwhile yet.....

 

Love nests for adolescents?

 

Tone

[Derek R.]

Not to guard the bridge Alan, but to defend the length, and if invasion was secured, and an attack locally imminent, the bridge would have been blown leaving no crossing point. Thereafter, the guns from the Pill Boxes would harrass any attempt at bailey bridge building. I wouldn't have wanted to be inside when the bridge was blown, but such niceties were not in the forefront of military minds.

 

Love nests - until you trod in someones turd. They stunk to high heaven as a rule.

[OldGoldy]

For years I have tried to think of a use that all these virtually indestructable pill boxes could be put to today, but have not come up with anything worthwhile yet.....

ANPR cameras to photo/catch unlicensed boats

[Donald Gilchrist]

For years I have tried to think of a use that all these virtually indestructable pill boxes could be put to today, but have not come up with anything worthwhile yet.....

British Waterways have used the pill box on the Dove aquaduct,on the Trent & Mersey,as a store room.They restored it when they did all the other work there.

[Derek R.]

British Waterways have used the pill box on the Dove aquaduct,on the Trent & Mersey,as a store room.They restored it when they did all the other work there.

 

Did they 'retro-fit' any Home Guard?

[carlt]

British Waterways have used the pill box on the Dove aquaduct,on the Trent & Mersey,as a store room.They restored it when they did all the other work there.

I bet it still smelled of wee.