Stop Line in Wiltshire

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Skoyen89, Aug 18, 2010.

  1. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    I am preparing a presentation to the Local History Society on 'The Defence of Great Bedwyn'. This is a village in Wiltshire on the Blue Line, between Hungerford and Devizes, and I am setting out to explain the development of the defences in 1940 and 1941. It was defended by the local Home Guard and elements of the Field Force based on Salisbury Plain. I am looking for any additional inputs - such as photos, documents, maps, aerial photos, recollections, photos of the pillboxes in this stretch etc - either that you have or which you can direct me to.

    I'd also be interested in war-time photos of the following:

    Wiltshire Home Guard
    knife-rest road blocks
    vertical rails or hairpins blocking roads or bridges
    lewis guns in use by the Home Guard
    LDV volunteers in the early days
    LDV or Home Guard with molotov cocktails
    pillboxes in use in 1940/41
    troops being transported in requisitioned buses

    I have searched Kew (but specific references would be useful), been to Chippenham and have MacKay's book on the Wiltshire Home Guard. Any further suggestions or contributions would be really appreciated and fully credited.

    regards
    Tony
     
  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Tony and welcome to the forum. I'm affraid its not my area of interest but hopefully someone will be able to help.

    Perhaps in the meantime you could share some of the information you already have, I know one member will be interested in your research :)

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  3. wtid45

    wtid45 Very Senior Member

  4. nicks

    nicks Very Senior Member

    I have searched Kew (but specific references would be useful), been to Chippenham and have MacKay's book on the Wiltshire Home Guard. Any further suggestions or contributions would be really appreciated and fully credited.

    regards
    Tony

    Hi Tony and welcome.

    When you mention Chippenham was that to visit the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, if so do they hold many records regarding the construction of the stop lines?

    Regards,

    Nick
     
  5. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Thanks to the three of you for your responses. The best general introduction to the Stop Lines is Colin Alexander's book called 'Ironside's Line' which looks at the GHQ Lines including the Green Line around Bristol and the Red (largely along the Thames)and Blue Line along the Kennet and Avon canal. If you haven't read that I suggest you start there - it is both easy to read and also detailed and scholarly. It also has a good list of references and a gazeteer of sites.
    I've found enough in various places on Great Bedwyn to allow me to put together the detail of the defences (rudimentary though they were) and to show how they developed through 1940 and 1941. That is what I'm going to set out in my talk, and also illustrate it with my photos from walking the stop lines. This is my first such talk! It is also very topical as they were probably actually being built 70 years ago this month.

    The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre have bits hidden away on the stop lines (more the roadblocks rather than the pillboxes) and there are bits and pieces on the defences of Chippenham. But don't expect it all in one place or a comprehensive set of records.

    Nick - if you get me an email address I can send you what I have on Chippenham. They are jpegs of 2 Mb each because I tend to use my digital camera in archives it being faster and cheaper.

    Regards
    Tony
     
  6. nicks

    nicks Very Senior Member

    Tony

    Thank you for your kind offer, I have sent you a pm with my e-mail address. I will also see if I can find a copy of 'Ironside's Line' that you mention.

    Regards,

    Nick

    BTW - Good luck with your talk.
     
  7. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    Hi Nick

    I've found some bits on the defences in Chippenham - mainly roadblocks, nothing on pillboxes. I'll email them to you over the next day or two.

    Regards
    Tony
     
    nicks likes this.
  8. nicks

    nicks Very Senior Member

    Thanks, Tony.
     
  9. RichAC1

    RichAC1 Junior Member

    Hi new here and just getting into photographing pillboxes defense line artefacts etc
    found these around chippenham if this is any help

    Type of site PILLBOX (VARIANT)
    Location Railway cutting at Thingley, SW of Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 8991 7046
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Clay Brick, Concrete
    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location Milbourne Farm, S of Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9155 7134
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete
    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location Rowden Farm, S of Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9191 7189
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete
    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location Rowden Farm, on River Avon, S of Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9186 7250
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete
    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location Monkton Park, Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9264 7313
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete
    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location 28, Sadlers Mead, Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9242 7347
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete
    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location Site of Cocklebury railway bridge, on River Avon NE of Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9332 7379
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete
    Type of site ANTI TANK ISLAND
    Location Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 91 73
    Period WW2
    Condition Unknown
    Materials Unknown
     
  10. Skoyen89

    Skoyen89 Senior Member

    May be of interest to Nicks
     
  11. nicks

    nicks Very Senior Member

    Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location 28, Sadlers Mead, Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9242 7347
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete


    RichAC1

    Welcome to the forum, all bar the one above are easily accessable, it's in a back garden. I'm just waiting for the vegatation around some to die down during the winter before photographing them.
     
  12. RichAC1

    RichAC1 Junior Member

    Sounds like a bit of gentle persuasion may be needed there :) hopefully the householders would be OK about it.Just had a look at it on Google Earth ,thats some garden feature to have
     
  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Saw this today in Monkton Park.
    "A bunker on a golf course ."
    Well a pill-box.

    Location of it here.
    Pill Box in Monkton Park Pitch & Putt © chris morton cc-by-sa/2.0

    I ought to look here for what type of box it is.
    Maybe later.
    Ah . Knew it would be mentioned on here already.
    Stop Line in Wiltshire

    "Type of site PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24)
    Location Monkton Park, Chippenham.
    Area Chippenham, Wiltshire, England
    Grid reference ST 9264 7313
    Period WW2
    Condition Extant but condition unknown
    Materials Reinforced Concrete"
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 10, 2020
    4jonboy likes this.

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