Revealing our history

Historian Andy Saunders has found some interesting photographs that seem to show a wartime pillbox near to what is now the entrance to the Memorial’s home at Capel-le-Ferne.

The photograph, which has a stamp on the reverse dating it to 23 October 1940, shows an unusual building that appears to have been disguised as a garage, complete with petrol pump. It is guarded by a solider with a rifle and has pillbox-style slits on the ground and first floors.

Andy said: “I came across this photo in my archives the other day while having a sort out of my files. It turns out that this unusual pill box was right by the entrance to the memorial site. It is dated 1940.”

The second photograph below, which is dated 7 August 1941, shows the construction of the gun battery on what is now the clifftop home of the Memorial with the pillbox highlighted in the top right-hand corner (blue square).

Andy believes that the pillbox was sited at TR/241379 on the map below, which shows the location of similar structures across the south east of the country.

If anyone has any further information on the pillbox – or perhaps even remembers it from their childhood – please get in touch with the Trust by emailing marketing@battleofbritainmemorial.org

The pillbox, complete with pretend doors, windows and petrol pump

Work on the battery, with the pillbox top right

Map readers - the suggested location is at TR/241379