Anti tank blocks
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I see that someone wrote their name in the wet cement while installing the Anti tank blocks on Druridge beach. PT E Wilson I think it reads and a serial number under but can't make it out.
Were these made by local troops,home guard? |
Interesting find.
PTE is the standard abbreviation for Private, so Private Wilson. 7 digit service numbers up to 1942 have a regimental block allocation pattern. http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/mm/...ce_numbers.htm then they switch to 8 digit beginning 14... |
I thought the first two characters looked like "N.F.", then 7 digits. But if he was Northumberland Fusiliers the first digit would have to be a 4 followed by 2 or 3. - doesn't look like that. Also the "Northumberland Fusiliers" were granted the "Royal" title in 1935 becoming the "Royal Northumberland Fusiliers" So would we expect a RNF rather than a NF as well?
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I should add that men transferred from one regiment to another can hang on to their previous number so it is not a cast iron way to ID regiment from a number.
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If I was forced to make a judgement on what it says I would have to say NF 5952921
Now that would be a Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment number . |
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This one looks like PTE Wissonna?
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Cant make much out on this one,think it has 1940 at the very bottom.
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Quote:
Perhaps his initials, Private Wilson N.A. Quote:
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I'm almost positive that Miss Elliott of Whitefield Farm told me they were constructed by men of the Hertfordshire Regiment, who were billeted at the farm at the time. She loaned me some photos, I will try and hunt them out.
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Quote:
Both 1st and 2nd Herts Regt were 162nd Infantry Brigade, 54th Infantry Division 3.9.39 to 7.9.42 and in the UK during that time. |
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Here's a photo of an uncle diving near some of the blocks in the 50s. Some positioned up the sides of the dunes.
Anyone recognise that spot? |
Due to the low dune height it could be in the Bondicar area. The dunes from Amble past Hauxley are fairly high but lower in the region of the recent "dig".
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That makes sense. That wall made from the blocks just south of Hauxley would have taken those ones.
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That could possibly be the place as the blocks piled in the picture are not in the spacing originally on the beach and there no others in sight. It looks as if this was maybe the start of building that sea defence we have now.
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I would say that from that photo, that it is directly in front of Old Bye Eyes Farm, as children that was our play ground, there were pill boxes and a Tank trap which went from the Newburgh burn all the way along the back of the dunes past Chevington, the tank trap always had water in it but wasn't that deep and we collected newts and frog spawn down there every year. A lot of the blocks had hawser wire connecting them together but a lot had rusted away but still had strands sticking out of them and by the beach at Newburgh there were 2 gun emplacements, and I can still remember playing on the 3 tank hulks. Great memories I must admit. Its just a shame so many of my friends from that time have now passed on.
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Found a Bed's and Hert's Regimental cap badge on Warkworth beach a couple of years ago
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Detecting in eroding sand dunes back in the 80s I found a Durham Light infantry and an Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) cap badge at the same time in close proximity too each other. One can speculate why these would be together. :D (The ATS being a female unit)
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I remember the blocks well and Billcon's description of that part of Bondicar with the tank trap, the pill boxes and (a bit farther away) the three tanks brought back a lot of memories. I've found this picture of my Dad using some of the blocks, still in position, as a wind shield while he boiled the kettle. These ones were near the "cundy" which was one of our favourite play places. The "cundy" was where the burn passed under the road at Bondicar and came out on the sands. It has been rebuilt and some of the blocks have been used as a barrier to protect it against the spring tides.
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