Redline Home Guard have been working in conjunction with Howbery Park Estate, Crowmarsh, to gain access to the Type FW3/22 pillbox on their site on the banks of the Thames, part of the Red Stop Line, with the aim to get the pillbox restored back to a useable condition.
The box was in a rather over-grown state, the ivy covering all sides and the roof covered in a thick layer of vegetation including a hawthorn sapling and several small beech trees.
With permissions granted from Howbery Estate, members of the Redline set to work to clear the vegetation and get the pillbox restored, with the aim to get it to a state where an open day can be organised in the future and the box can be used once more.
Armed with various gardening tools, an abundance of enthusiasm and a disregard for the rain that was steadily falling, the crew set to work.
Luckily, nothing caused us too many problems to remove, just lots of hard graft. Soon the box was looking much better, with evidence of original camouflage paint uncovered on the outside plus the anchorage where camo-nets would have been strung to further help hide the box.
There is just the inside to give a good sweep out and the eviction of several large slugs to take care of. We’ll be organising an open day at the box in the future to show it off as it would have been used during ww2 – watch this space!
If you would like to get involved in future projects do contact us
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