Summary

Type FW3/23 Pillbox.

Full description

Close to the railway line, in the grass on the E side of Rochford Airfield, is a rare FW3/23 anti-aircraft pillbox. These pillboxes were built as a rectangle with one half a standard square pillbox with loopholes, and the other half as an open square pit equipped with an anti-aircraft machine-gun mounted on a central post. This example is semi-sunken into the ground so that only two or three feet shows above ground level. Since the war, more soil has been heaped around, which has then grassed over and thus the loopholes, in the three “forward” faces (the “normal pillbox” half) can be barely seen. The anti-aircraft pit has been filled with soil and a bush now grows out of the centre. Through the side wall of the pit, an opening would have provided entry into the other half. Some of the earth has been scraped away from inside the pit and the top of this entrance can be seen. <1>

The pillbox is built of concrete, it is 16’5” long x 10’6” wide. This width, however, steps down to 8’6” at the “ground defence” end. The walls around the anti-aircraft pit are 16” thick. The entire structure is orientated E/W so that the roofed, loopholed end could defend against an infantry ground attack and the anti-aircraft end could fire on planes over the airfield. Although mostly below ground level, the portion of the pillbox that can be seen appears to be in good condition.

Three photos were taken of the site. <2>

SITE ASSESSMENT

FW3/23 pillboxes have been found to be very rare. At the time of compiling this report, with 1,800 wartime defence sites so far recorded in Essex, only two other FW3/23’s are known in the County. (SMR 7216 and SMR 20773). Every effort should be made to ensure the continued survival of this example, ultimately to Scheduled Monument status.

<1> Wills, H, 1985, Pillboxes, p.29 (DESC TEXT). SEX31431.

<2> Nash, Fred, 2003, WWII Defences in Rochford., three frames, May 2003 (Photograph). SEX63397.

Monument Types

• PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/23) (WWII, Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Events

• WWII Defences in Rochford (Ref: ?)

Protected Status

• Historic Environment Character Zone: Rochford 17
• Historic Environment Character Zone: Thames Gateway 88_1
• Historic Environment Character Area: Thames Gateway 87
• Historic Environment Character Area: Rochford 8

Sources and further reading

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