Peter Hibbs

Dummy pillbox is set up for the weekend at the Hellingly Festival of Transport! #swwSussex

The dummy pillbox has been test-built and is now on its way to the Festival of Transport showground at Hellingly for the weekend! #swwSussex

I've been off social media for some time, so I'm not up to speed with followers. If I'm not yet following you back, just give me a nudge!

Pieces of a flat-pack Second World War pillbox laid out on a lawn.

If you used to follow me in the other place, you'll know what this is - watch this space if you don't! #swwSussex

Three-quarter view of a Second World War pillbox at Bodiam Castle.

View of some paperwork and tape measure.

Using a goniometer to measure the corner of a pillbox.

Afternoon at Bodiam Castle, grabbing a few pillbox measurements as part of a project I'm working on. Several people asked what I was doing, so I ended up doing some impromptu guided tours.

Also had a eureka moment that changes what we thought we knew about this pillbox! #swwSussex

Ironically, I raised concerns with the group back in 2017; I even offered to become an admin to help, but they refused. 8 years later the same issues are still evident.

The group has 25.6K members; downloads will be high - and I expect copies are being circulated behind the scenes.

So, just to recap; we publish an article in a national magazine, presenting new analysis based on many years of hard work.

The 'Pillbox Appreciation Society' republish it w/o permission and ban us when we assert our intellectual property rights???

But they liked the article...

They liked our article so much, the admin I privately messaged with my concerns has blocked me, and I've been kicked out of the group! But they liked our research...

Usually seperate, but in cases where permission/requisition were possible then a pre-existing building might be fortified.

I bet they had fun trying to remove it post-war! Does the concrete still survive then?

Thanks to everyone on here for the warm welcome to Bluesky!
If I haven't followed you back yet and you'd like me to, just let me know!

I'd forgotten all about that...

80 years on - New perspectives on Second World War anti-invasion defences YouTube video by Council for British Archaeology

Here's the talk I did with @sussexpillbox.bsky.social for @archaeologyuk.bsky.social- www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLRn...

Donate to Wartime Defences of East Yorkshire research, organized by Chris Kolonko I have been recording and researching the anti-invasion defences of East Yor… Chris Kolonko needs your support for Wartime Defences of East Yorkshire research

Might as well point out my GoFundMe. I'm currently raising funds to help me source the relevant documents from the National Archives so I can research and tell the untold story of the defence of East Yorkshire by the Regular and Territorial Army.

www.gofundme.com/f/wartime-de...

Map showing lidar interpretation of pillboxes.

It's been a while since I used LiDAR for pillbox interpretation and landscape analysis but here's a really nice result.

These pillboxes in Norfolk were likely located for flank defence.

Using the LiDAR data shows an area of dead space in coverage of the land between pillboxes 01 and 03.

Thanks Gabe - much appreciated!

A rusty, bent steel tube with two hooked "arms" lying on a sandy beach with "Z1 ANCHOR" etched in the sand above it.

I decided to open an impromptu museum to display the exhibit, with appropriate labelling... 4/4

A 3D computer model of the 'Z1 Scaffolding' framework, an anti-tank obstacle. The image shows the front of the obstacle (a vertical fence of rectangles) at left, with supporting poles sloping down to the right. The scaffolding is shown dug into the beach by two feet (60cm).

A 3D computer model of the 'Z1 Scaffolding' framework, an anti-tank obstacle. The image shows the front of the obstacle (a vertical fence of rectangles) at right, with supporting poles sloping down to the left.

A black-and-white diagram from an army manual entitled "Detail of Anchor Pins", showing a side view of an anchor pin for Z1 scaffolding with dimensions.

Close-up of a black-and-white wartime photograph of Z1 scaffolding, showing how a pair of anchor pins are hammered into the beach as an "X" to hold the scaffolding obstacle in place.

It's an anchor pin for 'Z1 Scaffolding', assembled along low-lying beaches in the UK as an anti-tank obstacle from December 1940. Z1 stretched hundreds of miles at an enormous cost of steel and labour. 3/4

A bent, rusted steel tube with two hooked "arms" lying on a sandy beach with a few pebbles.

A close-up view of a rusted steel tube with two hooked "arms" lying on a sandy beach.

I found this steel pin on the beach near Tower 64 - but what is it? 2/4

Martello Tower 64, Pevensey Bay, 1987. Looking up a sloping shingle beach at the tower, with a door open. A wooden groyne runs left to right.

Martello Tower 64, Pevensey Bay, 2024. Looking up the beach over a wooden groyne towards the tower, with modern housing development close behind it.

Martello Tower 64, Pevensey Bay, 1987, looking towards the sea.

Martello Tower 64, Pevensey Bay, 2024, looking towards the sea. Some Second World War concrete anti-tank blocks (known as "dragon's teeth") have been strewn around the base of the tower during the housing development of the 1990's.

Boxing day walk across The Crumbles, Pevensey Bay; then and now views of Martello Tower 64 in 1987 and 2024. #swwSussex 1/4

Thank you!

Thanks Chris!

Absolutely!

Thanks you - every day is a school day!

Thanks very much!

And you - thanks!

26th (County of London) Bn., Home Guard

26th Bn., Home Guard "Stand Down" Menu

"C" Coy., 26 Bn., County of London Home Guard "Stand Down" Dinner and Cabaret

80 years ago today, the Home Guard was officially "stood down". The 26th (County of London) Bn., were quick off the mark in arranging their celebratory Dinner & Cabaret, which took place the following night in the drill hall in Crescent Road, Woolwich. The menu and programme can be seen below!

A thread about the defensive position I walked around with @ckolonko.bsky.social today. It's at Thursford in Norfolk & we used this sketch map to look at what's left #WW2 #homefront

After around 14 hours of mapping I have completed plotting all bridges rigged for demolition, rail blocks, magazines and other river crossing points of the GHQ and Command Stop Lines within 2 Corps in 1941.

Very happy with the result and this will come in useful.

#WW2 #SWW #Archaeology

Chris Kolonko-Weet Archaeologist and Second World War Defence Specialist

Oh yeah, there's also my website. Plenty of stuff on there about archaeology and pillboxes.

chriskolonko.wordpress.com