Sandbag defences in WW2

[Vivienne14]

Must be very sandy soil around QE Hospital/Birmingham University. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Children lending a hand. Viv.

 

[ChrisM]

Thanks, Viv.

And we think that OUR lives are full of worry today........

Chris

 

[Radiorails]

Sandbags is a generic name; they were filled with sand if available nearby, other than that with soil.(as shown in Post 1). The soil from trenches was used to fill sandbags for instance. Some of the more permanent pill boxes and similar fortifications were filled with concrete and have lasted, in situ, a very long time.

 

[oldMohawk]

Sandbags on the forum ...

The 'Blitz' had not started when at least two of these photos were taken, so I've put them here.
Margaret St in the months before WW2 a fairly cheerful looking crowd filling sandbags and placing them untidily against the walls of the Education office.

Still Margaret St in the opposite direction. The trams had to squeeze past the busy scene. Would those sandbags protect the building?

Perhaps a little later the sandbags look more uniform in size and placement, but what about the upper windows? Note the 'Keep Left' bollards had light shields fitted.

 

[Radiorails]

Interesting photos. The Dudley Road trams were replaced by buses (except for the 32 Lodge Road route), on 1st. October, 1939. It does seem that a lot of preparations for war were made some months before the declaration in September, 1939.
My father, for instance, was in uniform much earlier than September.

 

[Vivienne14]

Shop assistants and medical students all lending a hand with sandbagging in 1939.

Viv.

Source: British Newspaper Archive

 

[Vivienne14]

Sandbags on Paradise Street.
Viv

Source: British Newspaper Archive