PILLBOXES THAT HAVE LASTED 75 YEARS

[Gil Boyd]

These are from Yorkshire with most positioned at and around CAYTON BAY in Yorkshire.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Interesting to see how far the water has encroached in that time. The ones out on the strand were not there to start with...

[Flying10uk]

Interesting to see how far the water has encroached in that time. The ones out on the strand were not there to start with...

Because Cayton Bay is on the east coast of England there isn't as much costal defence work undertaken as there use to be. It was decided some time ago to let the sea reclaim land in certain areas on the east coast of England. Some parts of the east coast are defended against the sea but other parts no longer are.

[Gil Boyd]

They were made so well the seas after 75 years still find it hard to break them down, testimont to the engineering and would certainly have stopped many a shell.

[Surpmil]

Presumably these rolled down the cliff at some point, and perhaps out onto the sands as well?

[Flying10uk]

Presumably these rolled down the cliff at some point, and perhaps out onto the sands as well?

Yep, and so have people's houses and other properties which haven't fared so well as pill boxes, after being "ejected" down a cliff and onto the beach.

At least some of the Pill-Boxes constructed in the UK were made of ferro-concrete, reinforced with pierced steel mesh, rather than single rebars.

[Woodsy]

There are still a few to be found in NZ, some guarding bridge approaches, others in coastal positions, small concrete 2 man units with the remains of fixed MG mounts (usually Vickers). They were manned during WW2 but luckily never fired a shot in anger.

[USGI]

Here's a picture I copied from an old slide taken by my uncle at Fort Stevens on the Oregon Coast about 65 years ago. I'm pretty sure this was taken at Battery Russell. It guarded the entrance to the Columbia River. The two people are my brother (now 80) and our aunt. I haven't been there for years - need to get back down there sometime! - Bob

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[Gil Boyd]

Bob,
I am sure it will still be the same, make a special trip...............memories!. My point of the thread was that, in those dark days of WW2 the concrete they put together, mostly by hand lasted the test of time and more importantly the sea crashing against it contunally.
Amazing how durable they are. Only a few have the roofs collapsed.

[colin.moxon]

I don’t have a picture but there is a cool pillbox built into the bluff above Ben Weston Beach on Catalina Island. I can’t imagine there aren’t more out there on the island but that’s the one I’ve seen in person.