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WWII Beach Defenses Reveal Builder's Secret Messages
10 Jul
Summary
- Initials, drawings, and tool marks were found on WWII anti-tank defenses.
- Messages on concrete blocks date back to 1940, during the war.
- The markings include a soldier cartoon and a Spanish Civil War slogan.
Archaeologists have discovered unique inscriptions on World War II anti-tank defenses located at Tentsmuir, near Leuchars, in Fife. These concrete blocks, installed in 1940 as a safeguard against a potential German invasion, now bear the names, initials, and drawings of their builders.
The findings, recorded by a team from the University of St Andrews charity Scape, include tool marks such as an outline of a hammer and crowbar, as well as a monkey wrench. These were pressed into the wet concrete by the builders.
Further inscriptions comprise names like Sgt Ince, T Gates, and HB Moss, along with a cartoon depiction of a smiling soldier. Intriguingly, "no passaran," a Spanish Civil War anti-fascist slogan meaning "you will not pass," was also found, alongside a profile resembling General Franco.
These coastal heritage sites are increasingly vulnerable to erosion. Scape has been documenting such sites for 25 years, with assistance from volunteers and technology like sensors from Hong Kong Polytechnic University to locate buried structures.
