Cylindrical concrete obstacles

Discussion in 'General' started by 13thbattalion, Feb 9, 2018.

  1. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Hi Guys, I've found somes concrete cylindrical obstacles that have been used to hold up a road. A lot of them have a small triangle cut into the top, does anyone know what the triangle may signify?
    Thanks
     
  2. hutt

    hutt Member

    Have you any photos?
    I was going to suggest survey base stations as these can have a metal insert into which a theodolite or similar can be mounted but you say there are lots of them?
    Also obstacles, yet you say they are holding up a road, if so how are you seeing the top?
     
  3. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Thanks for the reply. Ill post some pictures. I've found similar pictures on the Lancashire at war website and they look virtually identical .
     
  4. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    HI, here are the pictures I took.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. hutt

    hutt Member

    Ok, too many to be survey base stations. Can you give a location?. Are they definitely defense related. Could they just be a convenient precast size and weight. Not sure about triangle though. Is your location near Lancashire at war site. Same works churning out precast units
     
  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  7. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Its on Walney Island. In front of the cylinders is a lot of brick and concrete rubble and the bricks are the same make (Phorpres) as the bricks used in the hut foundations of the camps around the airfield at the north end of the island. I was wondering if these cylinders may have been used to restrict vehicle access to these camps. There is at least a hundred of the blocks.
     
  8. 8RB

    8RB Well-Known Member

    Airfield... Concrete cylinders... Could it be they were somehow used for compacting the soil of the airstrip?
     
  9. hutt

    hutt Member

    I'll go for anti tank defenses that have been re used elsewhere. Barrow was a sensitive area then as it still is now. Attached image shows HAA sites as recorded in Dobinson, AA Command Walney Island.JPG Walney Island.JPG
     
  10. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    That may not have been their original function. Could they be re-purposed structure from the original Vickers airship facility?
     
  11. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    I really don't know. They are almost identical to the ones on the lancashire at war site. There were loads of camps on Walney, plus The airfield and Fort Walney. I thought they might have been salvaged when the camps were demolished.
     
  12. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    They are also very close to were an 'N' series decoy site was situated.
     
  13. dorche

    dorche New Member

    I'm sure they are antitank obstacles recycled. They were very common as moveable road blocks and unlike larger obstacles could be moved after the war for building. Near me is a stream reverted with them. Gillingham FC used to have a stand built out of them. I've seen the same road reinforcement in Leicestershire.

    No idea about the triangle. Does it look cast in? Or carved in later (by a bored soldier on a very quiet road!)
     
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  14. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  15. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    I wonder if these cylinders are the bases for area fencing poles or say for area access where a gate might be erected alongside a gatehouse.

    Cannot see the cylinders being part of an anti tank defence system as they seem to be too small.

    Contrast these cylinders with the photographs of anti tank large concrete blocks which the Germans erected on the D 75 coastal road at the bottom of the hill at Pourville which represented a formidable obstacle against tank traffic to and fro on this road between Dieppe and Pourville.
     
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  16. Churchy

    Churchy Member

    They dont make sense as anti tank obstacles as they could simply be rolled out of the way,unless of course a shallow rectancular ditch was dug to roll them into and make them immovable.
     
  17. Churchy

    Churchy Member

    If you go to the "Pillbox study group" website and look at the Rugby anti tank defenses you will see the same cylindrical blocks here too.It looks like they were stood on their ends and steel "rails" inserted into the holes in the concrete.If they were sunk into the ground a bit they would have indeed made formidable obstacles for a tank.
    There are marks in these too......maybe they are just manufacturers marks,after all,i expect many companies produced them for the war effort and each company would put their own identification mark into them.
     
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  18. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Yes I would agree, if the cylinder was erected on its end,the cylinder would not have enough diameter to resist a tank forcing it over.Further,laid on the ground the cylinders could be easily rolled by force.

    Looking further at tank obstacles.The design of the German static west wall "Seigfried Line" anti tank barrier using the dragon teeth configuration...a cluster of teeth in cross section with the bases firmly set in reinforced concrete but with a pyramid top designed to ensure that any horizontal force applied to the sloping surface cannot be fully effective......similar design philosophy to tank design of sloping armour plate that an anti tank round can never strike a sloping armour plate at 90 degrees.
     
  19. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Good informative post.........I was posting #18 at the same time and consequently did not see Post #17.I think it reflects the urgent response to thwart armour in the early days when the threat of invasion was at high risk....a question of constructing any obstacle that would prevent the movement of the enemy's mechanised equipment.

    As regards these defensive measures,I can remember our local cricket field,a fine open space being denied as a landing ground by inserting large iron stakes on the pitch and surrounding area.However close by was a large cornfield, ideal for a landing ground with a growing crop, which was left untouched.
     

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