Review of The Book Pill Boxes of The Western Front

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Many people just associate the First World War with trenches defended by men standing on firesteps, but this was also the war in which concrete defensive structures – pill boxes and bunkers – came of age, especially from 1916 onwards. This book aims to give a comprehensive view of the design, construction and use of these structures, and of their effectiveness under bombardment.

I am firmly of the view that to understand the sites one visits in France and Flanders, people touring the old First World War battlefields should have a basic understanding of the defences in which soldiers lived and fought, how they were made and defended and how they were attacked. There are several books that cover trench warfare in detail, but this is the first I’ve come across to attempt an in-depth discussion of the concrete pill boxes and bunkers that became more and more important as key points in the defences from 1916 onwards, especially on the German side.

Drawing on contemporary military engineering records, including detailed reports by engineer officers on captured German pill boxes (some of which are reproduced in the appendices) the author tells the story of how concrete bunkers developed through the eyes of the British Army as it learned more about the German use of these structures. We learn of use of pre-cast blocks to make structures easier to build in the battle zone and of the conflicting information from trials of artillery against concrete and examinations of enemy bunkers in working out the size of artillery needed to overcome them. One aspect which is touched on but without a clear answer is how these were built in the forward zones where each side was keeping a close eye out for enemy activity. The use of cover and of trench tramways to bring up concrete are mentioned, but there wasn’t enough coherence for me to come away with a clear idea of how the process of building a new pill box near the front line was carried out.

Another shortfall is that the book only covers the British sectors of the Western Front. The French experience is almost completely glossed over, except when British use of French reports and advice is mentioned. It is understandable, though, as expanding the study to cover the whole Front would be a mammoth undertaking.

There is a gazetteer listing surviving pill boxes and giving information, when known, about which units constructed them and what action they saw, though again this only covers the British sectors, not the French. Unfortunately the information is presented just as a series of paragraphs, one per structure or group of structures. A better layout to this chapter would make it easier to find a specific pill box, maybe by numbering them and including maps, or dividing it more clearly into geographical areas.

I found the glossary not to be comprehensive enough. There were two new terms I came across early in the book – elephant iron and expanded metal – which the glossary did not contain and which I had difficulty working out from context. I suspect the author’s professional familiarity with materials and construction led him to over-estimate the terminology which this reader, at least, brought to the book.

Despite these minor flaws I learned an awful lot from this book – knowledge that will help me much better interpret what I see on my next trip to the old Front. A recommended read for anyone with a serious interest in the Western Front.

Reviews by the same author of other First World War books:

Walking Verdun

The Fortifications of Verdun

The British Expeditionary Force 1914 – 15

Scottish Divisions in the World Wars