This
is where the line altered its course and here substantial defences were installed.
There was a 100yd gap between the natural barrier offered by the river and the
embankment to the north. This gap was heavily fortified to withstand an assault
by the German army. |
The
armourment consisted of:-
Viaduct
Fortifications
Structure 1 - Artillery Pillbox with 6 pounder Hotchkiss
Gun covering the Colchester Road.
Structure 2 -Infantry Pillbox with machine gun to
fire into the road.
Structure 3 -Each of the arches was blocked by 5ft
square concrete cubes. A second row (left) was angled to provide greater protection.
Structure 4 -Three 6ft diameter cylinders filled
with concrete were placed in the shallow end of the river to prevent tanks breaching
the line. Presently located on the river bank.
Gun
Emplacement pedestal with stainless steel pivot. Alongside the pier of the viaduct
next to the pedestal (left) are the remains of two ammunition alcoves side by
side. | Gun Emplacement
pedestal with a (now rusty) plain steel pivot. This is unusual as most were of
stainless steel. Both positions
would have benefited from the protection of the brick arches. |
Structure
5-In 1942 two 29mm spigot mortars (Gun Pedestal) added beneath the arches.
By 1942, when spigot mortars were supplied to the Home Guard, the concept of Stop-lines
had been largely discredited in favour of nodal point defence and the siting of
the two spigot mortars at Chappel Viaduct probably reflects this rather than an
attempt to add further to the Eastern Command Line
Structure
6 -North end of viaduct, Pillbox with anti-aircraft gun to prevent attacks
from the air. No picture available.
Structure completely covered in undergrowth,
located on private land.
Today,
as you can see most of these defenses still survive, the three Pillboxes, the
concrete cubes, the concrete cylinders together with the spigot mortar gun pedestals.
The line
continued it`s path to Bures using the rail track as we said before.
At Bures, the Command Line once again diverted away from the rail track
back to the River Stour where it continued on towards Sudbury and finally
to stopping somewhere near to Bury.
(No data
available on what happened to the line at Sudbury)
Acknowledgment to www.pillboxesuk.co.uk.for
supplying additional information.
Courtesy of Essex CC Heritage Site for location of structures, Oct 2003
Fred Nash for the SEAX records.
Link
to Main Eastern Command Line Information