Guest michaelv Posted 9 January , 2004 Posted 9 January , 2004 Dear All, first I would like to say "Hello" to all the forummembers. I am one of the newbies. One thing, I ask myself is, when was the first german Pill-box built in Flanders? Thanks Michael
AOK4 Posted 9 January , 2004 Posted 9 January , 2004 There is no absolute date on that, but the Germans started reinforcing their shelters with concrete already in early 1915. Jan
Tim Birch Posted 9 January , 2004 Posted 9 January , 2004 There is no absolute date on that, but the Germans started reinforcing their shelters with concrete already in early 1915. Jan Allegedly using Blue Circle cement manufacured in Britain and imported into Germany via Holland. Tim
AOK4 Posted 9 January , 2004 Posted 9 January , 2004 For a part, yes. They had their own cement factories too and had captured cement factories in Belgium and France too. Jan
Bob Coulson Posted 9 January , 2004 Posted 9 January , 2004 Didn't they find Blue Circle cement bags lining the floors of some captured German dugouts on the Somme.? Bob.
salientpoints Posted 9 January , 2004 Posted 9 January , 2004 Have you tried the book "Pill boxes on the Western Front" ? I myself dont have a copy but you'd think the answer may lie in here Ryan
Neil Mackenzie Posted 10 January , 2004 Posted 10 January , 2004 Information on Pillboxes can also be obtained from this web site:- Pillbox Study Group
Laurent Posted 10 January , 2004 Posted 10 January , 2004 There is a great collection of German Pillbox and shelters near FESTUBERT, GIVENCHY, ILLIES...in very good condition. I will take a photo of these shelters next week for the forum... War in Flanders fields at: http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/arham .
Guest michaelv Posted 10 January , 2004 Posted 10 January , 2004 Hello, a big Thank you! for all the replies. Michael
CROONAERT Posted 18 January , 2004 Posted 18 January , 2004 Have you tried the book "Pill boxes on the Western Front" ? I myself dont have a copy but you'd think the answer may lie in here I've got a copy of "The Pill-Boxes of Flanders" by Col.E.G.L.Thurlow D.S.O. (1933). If anyone needs anything specific looking up from this book, just let me know. Dave. (PS. It just states ,as did Jan, that the Mannschafts-eisenbeton-Unterstande ("Mebu") were being built in ferro-concrete , in the Ypres area from early 1915 upto the commencement of 3rd Ypres. Originally they were designed to protect reserves and support troops from artillery up to 15cm. Later followed the blockhouses and machine gun emplacements used as defensive structures.)
AndyHollinger Posted 18 January , 2004 Posted 18 January , 2004 No real points to add ... but a couple of pictures: Ypres as described above.
Neil Mackenzie Posted 18 January , 2004 Posted 18 January , 2004 I've got a copy of "The Pill-Boxes of Flanders" by Col.E.G.L.Thurlow D.S.O. (1933). If anyone needs anything specific looking up from this book, just let me know. Dave. Dave. Does it mention the Kit & Kat pillboxes which were between Frezenberg and Westhoek? Thanks. Neil
CROONAERT Posted 18 January , 2004 Posted 18 January , 2004 Does it mention the Kit & Kat pillboxes which were between Frezenberg and Westhoek? 'Fraid not, Neil. I know where they were, but the 1:40,000 OS map (1932) supplied with the book showing the locations of the pill-boxes doesn't show these. Dave.
AndyHollinger Posted 19 January , 2004 Posted 19 January , 2004 Does my pill box (pictured above) have a story? I sue this picture to show how well these were built and how life goes on around them today.
Neil Mackenzie Posted 19 January , 2004 Posted 19 January , 2004 Does it mention the Kit & Kat pillboxes which were between Frezenberg and Westhoek? 'Fraid not, Neil. I know where they were, but the 1:40,000 OS map (1932) supplied with the book showing the locations of the pill-boxes doesn't show these. Dave. Dave. Sorry to be a pain but do you know where Kit & Kat were in relation to the modern map. I have a rough idea but no more. Thanks. Neil
CROONAERT Posted 19 January , 2004 Posted 19 January , 2004 Does my pill box (pictured above) have a story? I sue this picture to show how well these were built and how life goes on around them today. Andy. It sure does. From "Pillboxes of Flanders"...
AndyHollinger Posted 20 January , 2004 Posted 20 January , 2004 Does my pill box (pictured above) have a story? I sue this picture to show how well these were built and how life goes on around them today. Andy. It sure does. From "Pillboxes of Flanders"... Thanks! I appreciate it ... I remember now Tom telling me about the wide door on the "wrong" side ... didn't know that many people died there ... I use the pictures as a way of saying "life goes on" and that war never really leaves communities ... Thanks again!
CROONAERT Posted 20 January , 2004 Posted 20 January , 2004 Sorry to be a pain but do you know where Kit & Kat were in relation to the modern map. I have a rough idea but no more. Neil. You've a choice of two locations for these bunkers (depending on what you use as a source). The one's (I'm guessing here) that I bet you have a rough idea of are marked by the blue crosses on the modern IGN map, the other two (red crosses - using a 1918 map) are the other possible locations. (I think I've managed to scale the trench map to the modern map OK. I may be a few metres out). Personally, I think that the red crosses are the correct locations as the positions (dugouts?) that are marked by the blue crosses aren't shown on the later map. I don't believe that there is anything left to show the existance of these bunkers (I'm not too sure if they'd gone by 1933, when the book was printed) except ,maybe, in the foundations of the surrounding buildings and roads (many were destroyed in the 1920's /30's for this reason, especially in the Wijtschaete area). Dave.
Neil Mackenzie Posted 21 January , 2004 Posted 21 January , 2004 Dave. Many thanks - you are a scholar and a gentleman. Neil
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now