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Summary

Numerous irregularly shaped structures are visible across an area of the Skern on aerial photographs dating to the 1940s. They are interpreted as mock Czech Hedgehogs, a type of anti-invasion defence, used in the Second World War by United States troops during training for Operation Overlord.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS43SE/256/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ANTI TANK GIRDER (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))
• TRAINING STRUCTURE (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1944, RAF/106G/LA/88, NMR RAF/106G/LA/88 FPO/002-0003 SS4531/21 31-DEC-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349744.

A number of structures are visible across an area of the sand. Map object based on this source but the location is approximate as it was not possible to rectify the photograph.

Bass, R. T., 2005, Spirits of the Sand: Field Edition, 2 (Monograph). SDV325697.

An unlabelled sketch of a Czech Hedgehog is included.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

Numerous irregularly shaped structures are visible across an area of the Skern on aerial photographs dating to the 1940s. They are similar in shape and size to obstacles recorded on the Normandy Coast (and other parts of Europe) known as Czech Hedgehogs, which are girders joined together so as three legs are fixed on or in the ground surface and three project into the air, similar in principle if not detail to Roman caltrops or the ‘jacks’ used in children’s games. They were used by the former Czechoslovak state and subsequently by the Germans in the Second World War as a fortification to impede the progress of vehicles, and the examples at Northam were presumably used by United States troops during training for Operation Overlord. The location and extents given are approximate.

Marc Laurenceau, 2012, Dday-Overlord: The Atlantic Wall in Normandy, http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/atlantic_wall.htm (Website). SDV349924.

A photograph of a beach defence called a 'Czech Hedgehog' is reproduced.

Michel van Best and Peter Heijkoop, 2012, The Atlantikwall Website, http://www.vanderweel.info/atlantikwall/components_obstacles.htm (Website). SDV349925.

Photographs of Czech Hedgehogs are reproduced but not labelled.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325697	Monograph: Bass, R. T.. 2005. Spirits of the Sand: Field Edition. Spirits of the Sand. A5 Paperback. 2.
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349744	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1944. RAF/106G/LA/88. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/LA/88 FPO/002-0003 SS4531/21 31-DEC-1944. [Mapped feature: #62025 ]
SDV349924	Website: Marc Laurenceau. 2012. Dday-Overlord: The Atlantic Wall in Normandy. http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/atlantic_wall.htm. Website. http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/atlantic_wall.htm.
SDV349925	Website: Michel van Best and Peter Heijkoop. 2012. The Atlantikwall Website. http://www.vanderweel.info/atlantikwall/. Website. http://www.vanderweel.info/atlantikwall/components_obstacles.htm.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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