The Defence of East Sussex Project


"There will be one degree of resistance - to the last man and the last round."

Blog latest [view all]


X doesn't quite mark the spot

X doesn't quite mark the spot

Posted: 10 May 2009

Since my discovery of a treasure map I've made a couple of trips out into the field to see if I could find any defence works using it. More...



A treasure map

A treasure map

Posted: 08 May 2009

Following my discovery of first one - then two - defended localities on the Downs, I did some searching amongst the digital photos of archive documents on my PC and turned up a 'treasure map' showing the battle positions in the area. More...



24 more trenches - and another buried HQ!

24 more trenches - and another buried HQ!

Posted: 04 May 2009

Following my discovery of a platoon locality with a buried HQ, another trip up onto the Downs revealed another locality with an identical buried HQ. More...



Downs underground bunker - can you help?

Downs underground bunker - can you help?

Posted: 03 May 2009

I was on a Sunday school outing about 25 years ago and ended up exploring an underground chamber up on the Downs. I looked for it again about 10-15 years ago and presume it was demolished, but can anyone else remember it? More...



Platoon locality with buried HQ

Platoon locality with buried HQ

Posted: 02 May 2009

I took an aimless wander along a stretch of the Downs that I'd previously not explored. I wasn't expecting to find anything except some beautiful scenery, so I was surprised to find an intact platoon locality with a buried HQ. More...



Downs defended locality

Downs defended locality

Posted: 18 April 2009

Following on from my investigation of Vickers Gun positions, I went up onto the Downs looking for what promised to be an interesting defended locality held by two platoons and a Vickers section. More...



Getting my Vickers in a twist

Getting my Vickers in a twist

Posted: 18 April 2009

I've been out and about the past few weeks looking at potential Vickers machine gun posts up on the Downs. More...



Shrapnel, a weasel, an echinoid and a geocache

Shrapnel, a weasel, an echinoid and a geocache

Posted: 13 April 2009

The surreal title of this post describes the sort of day I've had; a series of unusual finds. More...



National Archives visit

National Archives visit

Posted: 08 April 2009

I was so busy at the archives yesterday that I didn't have time to write about some interesting finds. More...



Lies, damn lies and statistics...

Lies, damn lies and statistics...

Posted: 26 March 2009

I've been asked to explain my list of statistics generated by my main database to appear on the homepage. So if you want to know how many defence works I've recorded so far, there's a few things you need to get your head round. More...


The Defence of East Sussex

Command post

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..

Spigot mortar

Can you help?

Do you have memories, documents or photos of East Sussex at war?

Did you serve in British 44, 45, 55 Divisions or 1, 2 or 3 Canadian Divisions or the Home Guard in East Sussex during WW2?

Downs underground bunker - can you help?

Project stats at a glance

Today is day 1212 of the project


National Archives Research

The National Archives

No. of visits: 31

War diaries: 212

Total files: 330

Read more...



Documentary Evidence Database

Top 3 defences
Roadblock 558
Pillbox 145
Field gun 103

Records:

1772 sites with 1818 functions 1969 features

More stats

About Documentary Evidence


Roadblock recce Project

Roadblock recce

Roadblock sites visited: 184

Still to visit: 289

More about Roadblock recce



Downsforce Project

Downsforce slit trench

Defence works recorded: 251

More about Downsforce


Email me!




This site is copyright © Peter Hibbs 2006 - 2009. All rights reserved.
Hibbs, Peter The Defence of East Sussex Project (2008) Available at: http://www.pillbox.org.uk/index.asp? Accessed: 04 July 2009

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!