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By: - 30th October 2005 at 21:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Mmmmm.
Kinky......... ;)
By: - 30th October 2005 at 21:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I wonder if anybody can help??
I'm looking for any pics of WW2 Sentry boxes from American bases in the UK during the war, colour photos would be fantastic.Many Thanks
Jeff Ethell did a book of colour photos of WW2 US air bases which I am sure had pictures of sentry boxes. My copy is not too hand...would be a good bet...good luck
By: - 30th October 2005 at 23:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I wonder if anybody can help??
I'm looking for any pics of WW2 Sentry boxes from American bases in the UK during the war, colour photos would be fantastic.Many Thanks
Do you know for a fact that such things existed?
When I first saw your question I thought 'easy-peasy' the official history of the 388th is bound to have an image. It doesn't. Nor does the Mighty Eighth, nor Airfields of the 8th.
So I just start to wonder, did they actually have sentry boxes or is this a figment of Hollywood's imagination? (I'm certain I've seen them loads of times in the movies.)
Now an established RAF base would have a Guard Room (The one at Duxford you'll have seen many times) which effectively watches the main entrance. Why would they need a sentry box as well?
Just a thought.
Moggy
By: - 30th October 2005 at 23:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Moggy, thinking back to the many boring hours I spent in the guardroom at North Luffenham (among other RAF stations), "effectively watches" is a bit of an exaggeration! When not reading the newspaper or nattering, we were usually operating the telephone exchange, seldom looking out of the window! (I hope I haven't breached the Official Secrets Act by revealing this, but it was a heck of a long time ago!)
By: - 30th October 2005 at 23:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ah yes, but weren't 'eyes in the back of the head' standard issue for the Warrant Officer (?) i/c guard room?
And I did mean 'effectively watches', rather than 'watches effectively' ;)
Moggy
By: - 30th October 2005 at 23:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Moggy,
Thanks very much for looking. They did exist, a few still do. I have seen one pic in Mighty Eighth In Colour from Steeple Morden. Hardwick seemingly had them at different entrances into the technical site, indeed one of the concrete bases remained until recently, until the council decided to remove it.
As you say though, pictures are pretty rare.
By: - 31st October 2005 at 00:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
No problem ;)
My home village is still heavily garrisoned by the US Air Force. The day after 11/9 they stood an armed and flak jacketed guard outside the married quarters.
He got very wet.
The following day he had a Hummer.
After about three days this was replaced by a rather natty fibreglass and perspex 'kiosk' complete with a door on the front.
It has to be said that had Osama Bin Laden been prepared to crawl up to the kiosk and run a clothes line around it, the poor squaddie inside would have been totally unable to bring his M16 to bear, the weapon being longer than any dimension of the kiosk.
Moggy
By: - 31st October 2005 at 00:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
"effectively watches"
Quite right, Moggy, my long sojourn in Sweden (30 years) has obviously blunted my previously rapier-like command of the English language (watch out for mixed metaphors!)
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By: Yak 11 Fan - 30th October 2005 at 21:16
I wonder if anybody can help??
I'm looking for any pics of WW2 Sentry boxes from American bases in the UK during the war, colour photos would be fantastic.
Many Thanks