cockney tone Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Ladies & Gents, Pal's, a few years ago I had a walk one February (carrying a very muddy mountain bike that had become bogged down) along the path around the edge of Thiepval Wood next to the river/water in the valley of the Ancre and i spotted a 'pillbox' construction, it is shown on the map as a Blockhaus, am I correct in assuming it is not actually Great War but actually a 2nd World War construction and was wondering what its purpose was (Mods, sorry if I have strayed into murky WW2 stuff here? please delete if you feel it appropriate!) Regards and best wishes, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle bill Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 I rode my bike along there this morning. Whereabouts is it exactly ? I too noticed on it was marked on the map but couldn't see it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Did you get the Biscuits and Tea ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 3 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Uncle Bill, you lucky devil riding along there this morning, very envious . Now the old grey matter is not what it was but I recall it being actually on the water, perhaps on a little island or piece of land jutting out, what i recall it was quite substantial, just wondered what strategic value it would have had and whats its history was? Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle bill Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 maybe just covering what would have been the swathe of battered marshland. The Germans did the same thing near St Pierre Divion at the Beaver Colony. By the way. Yes I did thanks. I'd love to get in touch with the chap who brought them. Could you PM please if you have his email. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 lawrence i asked dave stowe to bring the biscuits over to you. remember me tom the biscuit smuggler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 3 February , 2008 Share Posted 3 February , 2008 I haven't seen it for years, but it is Great War, not WW2. That area was full of British encampments in 1916, and I suspect it was probably a signals centre of some sort, although I have never seen reference to it in any contemporary source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 3 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2008 Paul, surprised its Great War, makes it even more interesting now! will have to try and locate it and photograph it on my next trip. Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle bill Posted 4 February , 2008 Share Posted 4 February , 2008 I'm going to go down and have a proper look. There must be a lot of things to see in the wood. Tom ! How are you ? Of course I remember the panazol biscuit smuggler ! Found out any more on your grandad ? Up the Dorsets ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 4 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2008 Uncle Bill, have a great time but be careful down there, I look forward to your update in due course. Pushing my luck, if you happen to go pass the Auberge at Authuile can you have a look into the Ancre from the bridge, I rember years ago seeing what looked like some broken graves stones on the river bed and have often wondered about how they got there? Cheers and wrap up warm out there! Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 4 February , 2008 Share Posted 4 February , 2008 Scottie...if it's the one a bit down fromThe Summer House, in the middle of the marsh between Authuille and Aveluy, and in fairly good nick.....it is the 1940s one, put there as part of the defences for Meulte airfield, presumably to stop an attack down the valley. Regards, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 4 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2008 Peter, it could be that one but its a few years since i saw it, your reasoning seems to make some sense as well! I wouldn't mind purchasing it myself for a summer house! Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 4 February , 2008 Share Posted 4 February , 2008 Eh? Why on earth would they build a bunker in the Ancre valley to defend the Meaulte airport? I'm baffled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 4 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2008 I was assuming it may have been on the flight path or had some strategic purpose? Scottie. (Now totally confused of Hertford!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 5 February , 2008 Share Posted 5 February , 2008 To my knowledge there were no German AA defences actually in the valley. There were above it, and some nearer to the airport and there was no 'flight path' as such in WW2. It is simply too far away to have anything to do with Meaulte, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Gray Posted 5 February , 2008 Share Posted 5 February , 2008 To my knowledge there were no German AA defences actually in the valley. There were above it, and some nearer to the airport and there was no 'flight path' as such in WW2. It is simply too far away to have anything to do with Meaulte, IMHO. Yes, got to agree with Paul on that one, it's simply too far away, the WW2 gun emplacements are all near Point 101 Cemetery, a good few miles from Thiepval. I'm there this weekend, so I'll have a look and take some pics if I can find it. Cheers, Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-ted Posted 6 February , 2008 Share Posted 6 February , 2008 Will we be looking in the right place if we start on the bridge near St Pierre and walk along the riverside path. It's the path that brings you out past a caravan park then onto the Authuille/Thiepval Road. John & Kathleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 6 February , 2008 Share Posted 6 February , 2008 Hello Paul...good question. I don't know why they put it there either, presumption arrived at some tie ago was to prevent an incursion along the valley....whatever the reason...if we are talking about the same one (my photos from a while ago are buried away somewhere)..it is of 40s vintage. Regards, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 6 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 6 February , 2008 Pal's, thanks for your interest. Paul, had a look at my maps and concur with your view. Rob, be great if you could snap a photo of it please. John and Kathleen, yes thats the path, it runs between the Wood and the wetlands of the Ancre. Peter, wonder if it perhaps covers the section of railway in that area??????? The plot thickens, Regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 6 February , 2008 Share Posted 6 February , 2008 I think this is the one we're talking about, photo is about 30 years old. Hope I've got the slide the correct way round! Regards, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 6 February , 2008 Share Posted 6 February , 2008 Yes, that's the one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 7 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2008 Peter, yep that looks like the little devil, thanks for sorting the photo out, regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Gray Posted 14 February , 2008 Share Posted 14 February , 2008 Cockney Tone, Here's what it looked like last weekend, a bit more overgrown than the previous older snap, there is a pretty formidable wire fence around it preventing people using it as a convenient loo..!! Having seen it close up, I would say it's certainly not WW2 German, more likely British WW1 or possibly French "Interwars", although I can't see what possible use was considered for it, as it doesn't appear to overlook anything of strategic importance. Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockney tone Posted 15 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2008 Rob, thanks very much for an up to date shot, as you say difficult to see what it covers there, just wondering if it actually may cover the railway line? the mystery deepens! would make a great fishing lodge there! regards, Scottie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mebu Posted 6 March , 2011 Share Posted 6 March , 2011 There was some discussion about this structure some time ago. I always knew it wasn't WW1 Firstly it didn't look period, and why would British face it south/west?, and wrongly accepted some info about WW2. Found recently that it is in fact a quite modern building.....probably brickwork with rendered walls. Constucted for ornithologists studying ducks on the pond. Hasn't been entered for some time. Attached are a couple of close-ups....entrance and "apertures". Regards Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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