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Pill-boxes

29th November 1940
Page 15
Page 15, 29th November 1940 — Pill-boxes
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

on Wheels Another " Concrete "

Obstacle to Invasion

I F Hitler had kept to his invasion programme his forces would have been met, last August and September, "on the beaches, in the streets, in the villages," at aerodromes and at a hundred a-nd one other places by mobile concrete.

pill-boxes far stranger in appearance than the early Tanks which waddled along the Somme battle-front in the summer of 1916. The pill-boxes, which were quickly taken up by all the Commands, were-the invention of Mr. C. B. Mathews, managing director of Concrete, Ltd., Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square, London, W.C.2.

Knowing that steel was short and the need urgent, Mr. Mathews set to work immediately after the evacuation at Dunkirk to evolve a concrete pill-box, which could be taken from place to place, manufactured quickly without special plant, and provide satisfactory protection to the troops. As a start he bought 24 old lorry chassis, and, so soon as he had got something which seemed satisfactory, he took it to the local military command for criticism.

Criticism was forthcoming, but so was understanding, and soon a working model was produced, which met Army requirements. The Northern Command ordered a first instalment The other Commands followed suit, and now every Command is equipped with concrete pill-boxes on wheels to supplement its normal armoured vehicles.

The concrete pill-box weighs several tons, and a way has been found of bolting it securely to the chassis. It is made of concrete slabs, of a given thickness, with the usual loopholes. Bren guns and armour-piercing bullets have been tried against it, and it stands up well to both, It carries a crew of six to ten men, according to requirements, and travels at normal lorry speeds.

" Our first mobile pill-boxes were weird and wonderful affairs," says Mr. Mathews, "but we have now got what is almost a streamlined model. Their great attraction is that anybody can make them—once he knows how. So I have put all my plans at the disposal of the Army authorities, and they are there if big supplies of concrete pillboxes are ever wanted."

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Organisations: Army, Northern Command
Locations: London

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