Defence of Britain Sites on Google Earth.

LOLGEOFF

The Name's Lol, Not Geoff.
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I don't know if many people know about this map layer that shows all the defences dotted around the British Isles.

To select this layer click on the Add Content button on the Places menu, click Education, and tick the Defence of Britan box.

The screen shot below is of the SE coast, if you click on the sites, on Google Earth, it comes up with an information panel telling you a bit about the site.

Interesting what's on your doorstep........
 

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That's really cool - be interesting to see how many are still there
 
Thats interesting Geoff thanks.

Notice there are a lot of petroleum warfare sites in that area. One of my old workmates was telling us once about his involvement developing the system.

He explained the theory of pumping fuel out under the sea where it would rise to the surface and then been set on fire. Can't remember the code name for it but he later worked on PLUTO. Pipe line under the ocean. Which I believe supplied fuel direct from England to the beaches in France after D Day.

The plan obviously worked as the Germans must have found out and decided not to invade. :mmmm
 
Couple of short stories about that area.

My Mum was a WAAF in the war and worked in the radar site just below Capel. Spent her time listening in on the German radio chit chat. For her trouble the Germans used to regularly fly over and dive bomb and shoot up the site. Buggers.

And my late Dad was also in the RAF and worked as a fitter in the MT section.
He was driving an army lorry along Folkeston high street when some Luftwaffer pilot chappie took exception and flew down and shot up the road all around him and the lorry. Made a bit of a mess of lorry and the street.

Obviously they both survived the war. :)
 
Thanks Geoff
Its another good excuse to sit in front of the computer.
 
It's taken me a couple of attempts to get it to work... :eek

Finally got it open and that's some addition :eek:

I've had a look around my local area and the biggest concentration is around Woodford (the old Avro works) but there are some interesting pillboxes listed on the moors over towards Holmfirth. I happen to think they might have missed something in Mossley though. I know of a concrete prefab type thing set against the cliff face over looking the railway. If memory serves it has a fairly thin reinforced concrete roof and walls, but with cut outs to the front. It doesn't look like it was meant to stop a big bomb, but it does have a good view over the railway, the old railway, and also the main road which eventually links to the Holmfirth road with the pillboxes?

Do you have anything local to you that may or may not be something important?
 
To select this layer click on the Add Content button on the Places menu, click Education, and tick the Defence of Britan box.

Thanks! I couldn't get it work at first but once I did I've read so much new information about the sites.
 
My Dad was DoGB in the early war years (N Africa & Italy after that). That pic reminds me..There's a railway tunnel through the west cliff of Dover with vent ducts/chimneys. At the beginning of the war it was used to store ammunition. One of my Dad's first posting was guarding those vents. They were scared stiff the Germans would sneak up and drop some explosives down the vents. He said it was bloody cold walking up and down the cliff top in mid-winter.
 


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