A history of pill boxes

Still dotted around certain parts of the British landscape, the 'pillbox' was a key part of the hardened field defences established as part of the United Kingdom's defences against invasion during World War Two. This article will explore the history of pill boxes.

Design and development

Overview After war broke out in 1939, preparations had to be made by the British against invasion from Germany, a threat which intensified with the bombing campaigns of the 'Blitz' in 1940.
The building's precise origins can be traced specifically to May 1940, when the directorate of Fortifications and Works (FW3) was set up at the War Office.
This was in effect, a study-group which came up with several pill box designs suitable for a range of anti-aircraft and anti-personnel armaments. Pillbox-like structures were designed for various purposes as part of the British war effort. Some were built as light anti-aircraft positions, observation posts or searchlight positions designed to illuminate the shoreline. The Air Ministry also came up with designs for pill boxes to protect airfields from attack by troops parachuting or landing.
As it was not anticipated that these would face heavy weapons, the degree of protection was less, with more emphasis on the all-round visibility and comprehensive fields of fire from the position.
Many of these were later reinforced. Internally, the bunker-like nature of pill boxes made them Spartan and not many had any space for even the most basic of home comforts.
The inside of many can still be explored today.
The degree of protection they actually afforded was debatable; the walls generally varied in thickness from one foot to three feet six inches. Tests later showed that German anti-tank shells could penetrate through concrete up to two feet.

Adaptations

Other adaptations Local variations were apparent in the design of even the same kind of pill box throughout the UK.
Construction would depend on the local situation, as well as which materials were available in a time of straitened circumstances. Some pill boxes were entrenched deep into the ground, with low entrances, as a protection against heavier weapons.
Others were built higher up, increasing available visibility.
Sometimes, there was a steel door or a free-standing blast wall, while pill boxes on hillsides could have embrasures missing from some walls. The use of local materials such as sand and pebbles often helped the pill box's camouflage, especially in coastal areas. Although the standard design was known as the FW3, local officers often came up with their own designs. There were also a small number of pill boxes left over from the First World War which were adapted and re-used.