Does any one know what this was

[fortman]

Imperial war museum, local council archives and mod all have no clue what it was.

[Krypton]

Imperial war museum, local council archives and mod all have no clue what it was.

The MOD are shit with stuff like that. Normally its just because they cant be arsed to look. I had loads of chew trying to find ROC information.

[jcw1967]

The only thing I've seen that were similar was a series of blocks in quarries that held some sort of conveyor belt system for stone or some such material, such as outside of Leyburn in the Dales. But the round top is unusual and they're usually concrete.
Great photos though, very unusual blocks.

[SaltGeorge]

Just looking through the TNA archives, NHER databases.. the problem is one if filing and categorisation, you sometimes have to work through some really convoluted logic to get to a search phrase that turns up what you're looking for. The MOD didn't exist as such until 1946 and the inherited records are for the most part at Kew under TNA and require you to physically walk through the door to read the documents, likewise for the records that went to IWM. Most of these organisations don't know the half of what they posess, and they don't have the resources to be able to look up every request.

Angles of research I would try on this site..

• Local council archives - look for Board of Works notes and minutes, potentially as early as 1944 but more likely in the period 1946-51 that might refer to surveys/lists of defensive structures to be removed/retained.
• Local council heritage and environment department - always worth writing a letter or email outlining your interest. They may have additional photographs on file that show additional details.
• London Metropolitan Archive - searchable under the TNA website, if nothing is listed under the location it would be worth looking for papers on the London Inner Defences, or Ford/Dagenham Motor Works in case it's an outpost of the factory defences, likewise for other large factories in the area.
• TNA - defensive positions are usually manned and as the war progressed regular units were generally replaced by Home Guard units, so the War Diaries of the local Home Guard regiment or it's parent Area Group might have a reference buried away in them.
• Hansard - it's an outside chance, but occasionally the local MP raised a question after the war if something wasn't being done - e.g. mines being cleared, scrap not recovered, obstructions removed from the highway.

[fortman]

defence of britain seems to think that it could be a searchlight position, with the bottom part housing the genny and a pill box on top as part of the local stop line. waiting to hear from the british libary maps dept.