The Pickett Hamilton Fort

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by kfz, Jul 12, 2009.

  1. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    The Pickett Hamilton Fort was a concrete pillbox mounted in a concrete sleave that could lowered and raised via a hydraulic jack (later air). it was used in RAF airfields at the start of the war where normal pillbox's could not be sited due to being an obstuction.


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    There is one of these (probably more but as yet unfound, they where installed in my local airfield RAF Burtonwood. it was found recently
    during building work on a new housing estate.

    from wikipedia
    "The need to defend airfields presented special problems. Airfields were large open areas where any above-ground structure would present a hazard to aircraft. One solution was the Pickett-Hamilton Fort, this was designed to be lowered to ground level while aircraft were operating, but to be raised when necessary by means of a hydraulic mechanism. The fort was manned by a crew of two with light machine guns. Access was provided by means of a hatch in the roof. "


    The pillbox was raised by a standard RAF 3 ton aircraft jack

    [​IMG]


    I imagine there was quite a tactical advantage of being able to be raised and lowered. Kept in the lowered postion it would be invisable to observation and therefore would not be inc in any plan of attack. It could also be sited in a location where once raised it denied the use of the runway.

    Most sources site the inability to host large calibre guns ands tendency to flood as reasons for disuse, but I think the reduction in the risk of airboune attack meant they just were not needed any more. Forgotten about and found 60 years later.

    Kev
     
    Chris C, Drew5233 and cptpies like this.
  2. cptpies

    cptpies Member

    Great Post KFZ. The usual complement for an airfield was three. There are only about 50 recorded in the DoB so I'm sure many are still out there waiting to be re-discovered.

    Cheers

    Steve
     
  3. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Only 1 has been found at Burtonwood, so defo another two out there, maybe more considoring how big Burtonwood was.


    Going to see if I can find it. Some parts in the local heritage musuem and I know roughly where it is.

    Kev

    Kev
     
  4. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

  5. Pete Keane

    Pete Keane Senior Member

    Looks a bit 'dads army' !
     
  6. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Only 1 has been found at Burtonwood, so defo another two out there, maybe more considoring how big Burtonwood was.


    Going to see if I can find it. Some parts in the local heritage musuem and I know roughly where it is.

    Kev

    Kev

    Kev, if and when you find it please post, as I wouldnt mind a look next time im out at M&S

    P
     
  7. cptpies

    cptpies Member

    DoB shows only one listed here just south of the M62, as I said 3 was the norm but not necessarily the case. Lower priority airfields didn't always have the full complement. GE Imagery is 2005 so I'm guessing this is where the new estate has gone up. Incidentaly have you ever checked out the HAA Battery to the North East of Farnworth? It seems pretty much intact.
     
  8. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    have you ever checked out the HAA Battery to the North East of Farnworth? It seems pretty much intact.

    Just be careful, as the land is private property and the farmer / police often turn up to move people on.

    As well as the H.A.A Battery there is the remains of a Italion POW camp.

    P
     
  9. flashbang

    flashbang Junior Member

    l saw one of these at Tangmere Aviation museum and was assured by the resident " Boffin " that they are rarer than unicorns teeth. Driving back to Chichester and less than 2 miles from Tangmere l saw a complete one at the side of the road that had just been dug out of the ground where the perimeter track at Merston ( satellite of Tangmere) was being broken up for hardcore. l stopped to have a look at it and was told by the digger driver that l could have it if l wanted it ha ha. lf only l'd had transport and somwhere to put it. Round about the same time the nursery on the old airfield site was putting up new greenhouses and having to cut through lots of burried pipework......that soon stopped when the contractor ( who had personaly cut through quite a few of them with a disc cutter) found out they were pipemines to blow up the runways in case of invasion.
    Needless to say bomb disposal didnt take long to get there.
     
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Good couple of pics on IWM site.

    The turret of a Pickett-Hamilton Retractable Fort, fully raised and manned by a bren-gun team of the Coldstream Guards, taken on a fighter airfield in Southern England.

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    The turret of a Pickett-Hamilton Retractable Fort, retracted to ground level on a fighter airfield in Southern England.

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    The Pickett-Hamilton Fort was a response to the need to defend airfields from invading troops, where any above-ground structure would present a hazard to operating aircraft. It was a sunken, circular, concrete pillbox that remained flush with the surface to permit the free movement of aircraft, but if attack threatened, could be raised, either hydraulically or by a counterbalance, to provide covering fire. The Fort was manned by a crew of two with light machine guns, access being provided by means of a hatch in the roof. Although some 375 Pickett-Hamilton Forts were installed on airfields they were found to be prone to flooding, and were not sufficiently strong to bear the weight of the heavy aircraft developed during the war.
     
  11. tmac

    tmac Senior Member

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