NHER 32678 (Monument record) - World War Two pillbox

Type 22 pillbox, in river bank.
Information from [1].
See (S1) with photograph in file.
D. Gurney (NLA) October 1996.

July 2005. Norfolk NMP.
An extant World War Two pillbox is visible on contemporary and later aerial photographs (S2) to (S5). The grid reference for this pillbox has been corrected from TG 5165 1025 to TG 5272 1023. This is a standard hexagonal type 22 pillbox that was located on top of the north bank of the River Bure. Aerial photographs dating to September 1940 (S6) show other defences in the vicinity of this pillbox (NHER 27519) and it is possible that it had also been constructed by that date. The earliest aerial photographs showing this pillbox date to March 1944 (S2). It does not appear to have had any camouflaged covering at that time (S2) to (S3).

This pillbox was well positioned on a bend in the river to provide a maximum field of fire in both directions. It was located at the southwest end of a larger group of defences to the west of Caister Road, which blocked the northern approach into Great Yarmouth (NHER 27519). These defences include a spigot mortar emplacement 17m to the east of the pillbox. A second type 22 pillbox survives within the central part of these defences (NHER 32677).

Due to realignment and rebuilding of the riverbank this pillbox is now partly buried on the north side of the bank (S5).
J. Albone (NMP), 27 July 2005