Defending Mġarr (1)
A look at pillboxes and other field defences built before and during World War II
There were three main types of pillboxes built during this period and many of them were not camouflaged. Those that were painted were camouflaged to look like rubble walls or even painted to appear as rural farmhouses; doors and windows were added to the latter. As already mentioned, the pillboxes built during this period had the shape of a box. Nearly all of them have four rectangular machine-gun portholes in the four corners of the structure.
They also have an observation turret either in the middle of the pillbox roof or at the front, the latter generally consisting of a high-rise turret raised from the ground floor. The observation cupola was reached by a ladder. In the middle of each wall there are two rifle loopholes and they have an entrance hatch on the rear. Although the first raids on Malta began on June 11, 1940, the building of pillboxes continued till the siege was lifted in mid-1942.
At Mosta, there are at least three pillboxes, or, as better known, reserve-posts and another different structure, along the Victoria Lines, which forms part of the same town.
how the pillboxes were arMeD anD supplieD
The beach-posts were generally armed with Vickers 0.303-inch heavy machine-guns while the depth-posts and reserve-posts were armed with Bren light machine-guns. Apart from these small arms, soldiers could also use their SMLE rifles from the small loopholes that all the pillboxes had.
All the machine-gun portholes and rifle loopholes had a shutter that could be closed in colder days.
Every pillbox had sufficient ammunition so in case of an invasion they could resist for a number of days. Many of the pillboxes also had a Bren gun mounted on a tripod to be used against low-flying enemy aircraft. These Bren guns were surrounded with sand bags against enemy bullets. Every pillbox also had a small water tank for the soldiers’ daily use.
Inside every pillbox there were wooden beds where the soldiers could sleep at night.
The soldiers were also supplied with their daily needs, like skimmed milk, coffee and other food items. They also had kettles, mugs, bowls and kitchen pots, all made of enamel.
Each structure had a telephone connected with other pillboxes and the
headquarters. Each pillbox was surrounded with double barbed wire in case of an invasion by enemy soldiers. This would have prevented them from reaching the structure.
In ‘normal’ situations, 33 per cent of the garrison of each beach-post would be given a ‘stand-to’ order from one hour before sunrise to full light and 20 per cent from sunset to one hour after sunset.
At night, sentries would be posted at key beach-posts selected by brigade commanders and would active patrol the coastline. However, if a storm hit Malta, there would be a reduction of patrols as decided by the brigade commanders.
The author wishes to thank Mario Vassallo for his generous help and the staff of the National Archives at Rabat for their continuous assistance. The aim of this series is to help everyone understand these priceless military structures and not take into possession any of these pillboxes for their own private use. If anyone wants to help or assist the author in any way regarding pillboxes in their village, town or city, they may email him at charles.a.debono@gov.mt.
Charles Debono is curator of the National War Museum.
To be continued next week