The Defence of East Sussex Project
Blog latest [view all]
New interpretation board unveiled
13 May 2012
An interpretation board that reconstructs part of the coastal defences of Sussex has been erected on the beach at Bexhill.
More...
Mystery of the tank in the sea
25 Apr 2012
Locals have known for years of the remains of a WW2 tank off the Sussex coast, but mystery still surrounds the circumstances of how it came to be in the sea. A visit to the site reveals some scattered remains in the surf.
More...
Pillbox camouflage revealed
22 Apr 2012
The pillbox on Frant Green is well known and much photographed. New documentary research reveals a lot about this and other long-forgotten GHQ Line pillboxes - including their camouflage schemes.
More...
Mystery structure identified!
19 Apr 2012
Most people probably wouldn't regard this as a mystery structure, as it has already been recorded as an anti-tank gun emplacement. New research reveals the real purpose of this building.
More...
Now We Are Six
13 Mar 2012
10 March 2012 marked the sixth anniversary of the Defence of East Sussex Project; today signals the point at which my research has lasted longer than World War Two itself!
More...
Pillbox at Camber
11 Dec 2011
I've been spending some time out at Rye and Camber looking at the defences there; one pillbox in particular has occupied a large proportion of my time. A 3D reconstruction was produced despite a key problem experienced during the survey process.
More...
In Remembrance
10 Nov 2011
By sheer coincidence my Remembrance piece follows on from last year's post based on some of the stories behind those who lie in Hastings Cemetery. This year I look at some tragic flying bomb incidents of July 1944.
More...
Did the Germans really destroy Martello Tower 63?
30 Oct 2011
After 23 years of researching Martello Towers, I've finally got to the bottom of a mystery surrounding the loss of one near Pevensey and learned an important lesson in trusting what the documents say.
More...
Roadblock Recce (34) - Winchelsea
29 Oct 2011
Stone gatehouses, water-filled moats, dry ditches and burning oil - all Medieval methods of defending a town. In the case of Winchelsea, these were the chosen methods of defence in the 20th Century too.
More...
Tip and Run raids and HAA Battery NH7
18 Oct 2011
The Luftwaffe began mounting 'Tip and Run' raids on the English south coast towns in 1941. Some documents, fieldwork and an impromptu air display provide some interesting insights as we follow an anti-aircraft battery from construction through its first engagements.
More...
The summer of 1940 saw a battle being fought in the skies above England.
While the RAF doggedly fought against the odds, preparations to defend the UK against German invasion were frantically being implemented should the 'Battle of Britain' also become a ground campaign.
The Defence of East Sussex Project is the most comprehensive post-war survey of the anti-invasion defences of the county using original battle plans as well as German sources. Read more..
Project stats at a glance
Today is day 2262 of the project; 68 days longer than World War Two!
National Archives Research
No. of visits: 62
War diaries: 601
Total files: 1018
Concrete Evidence Database
| Top 3 defences | |
|---|---|
| Roadblock | 588 |
| Pillbox | 503 |
|
Observation Post | 146 |
Records:
3369 sites with 3505 functions 3877 features
Roadblock recce Project
Roadblock sites visited: 307
Still to visit: 166
Downsforce Project
Defence works recorded: 382
Email me!
This site is copyright © Peter Hibbs 2006 - 2012. All rights reserved.
Hibbs, Peter The Defence of East Sussex Project (2012) Available at: http://www.pillbox.org.uk/Index.asp? Accessed: 19 May 2012
The information on this website is intended solely to describe the ongoing research activity of The Defence of East Sussex Project; it is not comprehensive or properly presented. It is therefore NOT suitable as a basis for producing derivative works or surveys!