"Dear One and All,
   Can anyone help me with some dug-outs that I have recently found in Norfolk? There are a number of military fieldworks in the WaveneyForest, situated on rising ground to the East of the River Waveney. During the Great War the area was within the infantry defence scheme for Great Yarmouth and during the Second World War it was used by the Royal Navy during the to unload depth charges from a railway line, which were then stored nearby at Fritton Decoy. Later on circa 1943 – 44 the area was used by the US Army as an infantry training area, with a rifle range situated on the land adjacent to the River Waveney. At that time the area was not heavily forested and was chiefly heath land, the current forestry is approximately forty years old.
   The whole area is now covered with Bracken and is forested with two varieties of mature tall slender pine trees. Silver Birch trees seem to be growing on the forest floor as weeds. The Silver Birch however is proving to be a good indicator of archaeological features that consist of a variety of small fire trenches, an infantry redoubt with two integral dugouts (only earthworks remain), an intact dugout, and six accommodation dugouts that have had their roofing material removed. The dugouts all appear to have been made of corrugated sheeting laid on a horizontal timber frame set onto the ground over rectangular earthen pits. The spoil from the pits has been banked up to obscure the dug-outs from view and also provided additional over-head cover. The ground is of a soft glacial sandy soil, and to prevent the side walls from crumbling in and collapsing, the sides of the dug-outs are revetted with sacking held in place by galvanised chicken wire, supported by rough-hewn timber posts and steel angle-iron pickets. The condition of the chicken wire is remarkable, showing very little sign of rust. The redoubt was of the same construction and has a ‘crenellated’ plan fire trench on its western flank covering the river. Nearby are four roughly circular gun earthen emplacements, aligned on St Olaves Bridge (which is covered by a Great War pillbox).
   The big puzzle however are eighteen small dugouts (approx 12’ x 6’ x 4’) grouped into two groups of ten and eight. They are simple rectangular-plan 4’ – 5’ deep pits dug into the ground with the same galvanised chicken wire and sacking wall revetments held in place by timber posts and steel picket posts. They are not only smaller and shallower than the other dug-outs, they have 6” flat mass concrete roofs rather than ‘corrugated sheeting’, each with a 6” square vent at one end and a recessed 18” square access hatch at the other. The edges of the roofs lay directly on the ground and clearly are not capable of withstanding a great weight loading. Do you have any idea what they might be; I’ve not come across the like before? (See attached sketch from notebook). A friend of mine was told by someone that they may be pre-prepared SAA stores built in 1940, should the army have to fall back from the coast. So to sum up, what are they, when were they built and by whom, the Great War, WWII, British Army, Royal Navy, or the US Army? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Regards,

Roger JC Thomas

Military Support Officer – English Heritage

www.RogerJCThomas@english-heritage.org.uk "