Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #ww2sussex
Most recents (3)
THREAD: clearing a heavily-overgrown pillbox somewhere in #swwSussex. An amazing day organised by @suspol_heritage with @UnseenSussex. A professional tree surgeon undertook the tree removal and minor landscaping. 1/7 
One tree stump was removed to prevent further growth that would affect the pillbox. The Bobcat also scraped back the ground surface to help open up the embrasures again. 2/7
We had cleaned the interior some weeks ago, but there was still plenty of mud, especially in the socket to hold the Bren tripod leg. Clearing these out allowed the Bren gun to be set up. 3/7
THREAD: 1. Fantastic day @ryeharbour_NR cleaning out one of the pillboxes. Despite heavy rain, our amazing team of volunteers from Sussex Military History Society and the nature reserve shovelled several tons of shingle and sand 6 inches deep from the interior. #ww2Sussex
2. Each bucket of spoil was carefully sifted for finds. We found a large spanner (probably not military) and what may prove to be a handle from an ammo box.
3. A sunny afternoon brought out the Vickers gun and many interested passers-by, including children who got photos for their history projects! It was good to be able to explain the fire tasks and long range capability of the gun, even if setting it up is not very dignified...
THREAD: Spent 3 days @shorehamfort excavating a keyhole-shaped structure outlined in brick. We thought this might have been an emplacement for a WW2 anti-aircraft light machine gun (AA LMG). Stage 1 was to brush off and expose the remains breaking the surface. #ww2Sussex 1/8
Compacted shingle was trowelled off to reveal cinders beneath. Below this was a concrete floor, yet the rear of the structure suggested a sunken entrance. We also had what seemed to be a holdfast with a ring of 1-inch bolts - far too substantial for our AA LMG theory. 2/8
Late on day 2, we decided to put a sondage through the floor to see if the structure went below ground, as nothing was making sense. Breaking through the concrete we realised what we initially thought was the floor was actually a postwar capping to reinstate the track! 3/8
