I was looking around the old Ballyhalbert and found these structures. They appear to be simitar to something for a Spigot Mortar or a gun pit but not sure. Any ideas??
The 'shelter' looks vaguely like an air raid shelter - any more photos? As for the ring structure, I'd say it was a spigot mortar position. It doesn't have a spigot, but the mortar would probably have been set up on its 4-legged mounting with the feet resting on the wall and the mortar over the central pillar. If you've got some dimensions, I can fish out the manual and see if they match up. - Pete
1/ could indeed be a spigot mortar point - the UHG started getting them in November 1941 and by mid-1942 they were being used to augment the firepower of those platoons delegated to airfield defence...in the case of Ballyhalbert, 4th Platoon, "A" Company, 1st Down Battalion UHG...but I'd have expected a...well, steel spigot...sticking up in the middle of the centre post? I thought the whole idea of a centre post in a spigot emplacement was to allow it to be centre mounted and the legs removed? Meant there was a "protected" ring for the designated loader to double over in! The other option is...could be a hardened ROC o-p? With that post in the middle being for the Instrument? There USED to be a pretty good Ballyhalbert Historcial Society, used to have an MSN Group page (I was on it buried in a pic as a schoolkid in the old Victoria Primary), but I don't know if it still exists. Might be worth you trying to track them down and see what they know of the UHG platoon's activities...?
We had a good thread on this subject. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/united-kingdom/15639-2-spigot-mortar-emplacements-previously-unrecorded.html Regards Tom
It doesn't have a spigot, but the mortar would probably have been set up on its 4-legged mounting with the feet resting on the wall and the mortar over the central pillar. Whoops - my bad! When I said 'spigot' I actually meant 'pivot'. The spigot, is, of course, the 'firing pin' of the weapon itself. This is what happens when you post on forums whilst watching the footie on telly... I'd have expected a...well, steel spigot...sticking up in the middle of the centre post? I thought the whole idea of a centre post in a spigot emplacement was to allow it to be centre mounted and the legs removed? You would have thought so with a concrete position, but the manual shows an earth pit with central revetted earth pedestal and the 4-legged mounting deployed. Dimensions may prove the key to this; the manual gives 30-inch diameter to the pedestal and 24 inches between pedestal and external wall. - Pete
