The legacies left behind following any conflict can be far-reaching. While we may not always have been on the conventional frontline, events in ‘our wee country’ have had a considerable impact on the landscape and our lives. Through my research, I hope to reveal the wide variety of defensive structures… Read More »What is Frontline Ulster?
On the 11 April 1940 Lieutenant Colonel Sandall, Royal Marines, was presented with an envelope marked MOST SECRET. What was contained inside came from the highest levels of Government. He was to embark HMS Suffolk with a formidable force of Royal Marines and make his way to the port of… Read More »British occupation of the Faroe Islands, 1940-1945
There are around half a dozen articles online about Francis Morton’s fencing, mainly identifying the distinctive winding pillars. What is remarkable is the age of many of these posts; still standing firm in the twenty-first century, some could have been erected as early as 1860. My interest in these pillars… Read More »Francis Morton & Co. Patent Fencing
Late at night on Saturday 11 September 1920, a daring raid was carried out on the Coastguard Station at Torr Head, County Antrim. It was reported that between 40-50 armed and masked Sinn Feiners arrived by motor vehicle at the remote station, forcibly entering each of the billets of the… Read More »The razing of Torr Head Coastguard Station
The Department for Communities (DfC) Historic Environment Division (HED) recently published their report from the four-year project to carry out a “systematic survey of 20th century Army, Navy and Air Force defence facilities in Northern Ireland”. The report was commissioned by the HED in 2020 and the contract was awarded… Read More »NI Defence Heritage Record Survey Report 2020-2024
After visiting the rare and remarkably preserved dual Tett Turret in the village of Docking in Norfolk, I have now made available some of the 360-degree images taken on that trip to form a virtual tour of the site. If you’re interested in the use of 360-degree images and videos… Read More »Tett Turret Virtual Tour
Tucked away in a forest on the southern coast of the Moray Firth, is the remains of 80-year-old pillbox camouflage; possibly the only example of this type left in Great Britain. The pillbox has been draped with fine galvanised wire netting, onto which camouflage materials would have been laid or… Read More »Wire netting on camouflaged pillboxes
In a memo dated 7 December 1941 from the Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, he defines the two roles that coast artillery searchlights (C.A.S.L.) fulfil. Each role was provided with a different type of light. These are: Observation lights This type of light was provided to detect hostile vessels. They could have… Read More »Coast Artillery – Searchlight Types
Public knowledge and understanding of Second World War British pillboxes is often incomplete. Constructed in their thousands after the withdrawal from Dunkirk, their effective widespread usefulness endured only for a few months, but 8 decades later they are sometimes all that remains of a vast defensive network. In this first… Read More »A gentle introduction to pillboxes (Video)
The tunnel system known as Lord Airey’s Shelter is still owned by the Ministry of Defence, except the Tracer cave which is under the guardianship of the Gibraltar Museum. Access is tightly controlled and limited to around 20 people per year, with guided tours arranged through the museum for a… Read More »Operation Tracer, Part 2 – Exploring the tunnel