This was a pillbox standing in a field, about 50m north of Island Road. It was clearly part of the ‘Eastern Curtain’ of pillboxes running from Ickham toward the coast at Reculver. This pillbox was well placed to harry enemy forces approaching along Island Road. It can be very clearly seen on immediate post-war aerial photographs, facing due east, along Island Road. The main line of sight converges on the road at a bend mid-way to Upstreet, where there may have been a minor roadblock. The important industrial site of Chislet Colliery was nearby to the south-west, just behind the Eastern Curtain. The pillbox was probably built, between early June and mid July (or perhaps early August 1940), by civilian labour under the direction of Royal Fusiliers. It was pillbox No.16 in the 1940 list of pillboxes in East Kent (2 December); it was in Sector 7 of the area, at the stated Military Grid reference R 656807 WO 166/508 GS 43 Division Appendix k List of pillboxes and defended houses 2 December 1940
Owner : Private
Publicly accessible : Unknown
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit :

CBA Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE15385.

43 Division General Staff, 01/01/40, War Diary 43 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). SKE15384.

8 Royal Fusiliers 1940, 01/01/40, War Diary 8 Royal Fusiliers 1940 (Unpublished document). SKE15386.

<1> 8 Royal Fusiliers 1940, 01/01/40, War Diary 8 Royal Fusiliers 1940 (Unpublished document). Ske15386.

<2> 43 Division General Staff, 01/01/40, War Diary 43 Division General Staff (Unpublished document). Ske15384.

<3> CBA Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). Ske15385.