NHER 32676 (Monument record) - World War Two pillbox

Type 24v pillbox. Rare?
Information from member of the public [1].
See record form/map (S1) and photograph (S2).
D. Gurney (NLA) October 1996.

August 2005. Norfolk NMP.
An extant World War Two pillbox is visible on contemporary and later aerial photographs (S3 to S8). The grid reference of this pillbox has been amended from TG 5241 1061 to TG 5241 1059.
This is an unusual pillbox that was constructed on the north side of an already existing barn at White Gate Farm on Yarmouth Road, Caister on Sea. It appears to be half of a type 24 hexagonal pillbox built up against the barn wall with an entrance on its east side. It was positioned facing northwards towards Caister on Sea village and formed part of a much larger complex of defences that effectively cut off the Great Yarmouth peninsula. These defences included two roadblocks on Yarmouth Road to the west of the pillbox, an anti tank ditch to its north and scaffolding to its south (NHER 27517). The pillbox was supported by a spigot mortar emplacement located 32m to its east (NHER 27517). Further defences, including more pillboxes, were also present to the west of the main road (NHER 27519, 32677).
The earliest aerial photographs showing the pillbox at White Gate Farm date to April 1944 (S3). However it is likely that it was constructed in the early part of World War Two at roughly the same time as the surrounding defences. Low level aerial photographs dating to August 1945 show that the pillbox was camouflaged with a sloping corrugated metal roof, giving it the appearance of a lean to extension attached to the adjacent barn (S4). The pillbox is visible on post war aerial photographs of various dates (S6 to S8).
J. Albone (NMP), 8 August 2005.