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Monday, 08 August 2011 08:10 |
 MANY pillboxes, built by the British to defend Penang against the Japanese during World War II, are in a sad state of neglect. The ones that are well-maintained are now part of public showcases, for example at the War Museum in Batu Maung and the Military Museum in Relau. The youth of today are seldom aware of their use, or even their existence. The one featured here is in a Chinese cemetery along the road to Fettes Park.
Pillboxes are fortified mini-forts used to defend strategic points when enemy foot soldiers, sometimes with the aid of artillery and air cover, have invaded a territory. Made of thick concrete, they house machine guns and usually occupy commanding positions like the top of hillocks or along beaches where invading forces land. They are also used to guard strategic places like airports and other military installations.
Why "pillbox"? Why not "bunker", "blockhouse" or "Sangar"? According to one source, "The Oxford English Dictionary (1) states that the first use of the word pill-box was an article in the Scotsman newspaper dated 13th September 1917. Reference is made to several other later sources such as the Daily Mail for 26th February 1923." Most sources attribute the name to the shape of the structure.
In the United Kingdom, during the Second World War, seven basic designs were issued by the Directorate of Fortifications and Works at the War Office. Most designs consisted of or incorporated some of the following features:
- Minimum of bullet/splinter proof protection
- No attempt was made to provide living accommodation
- Some designs were enhanced to shell-proof standard
- Simple blast walls to protect open entrances
- External flat side walls with rectangular or polygonal shape
Penang should preserve these structures for posterity as they are part of history that stretches back to the early 20th century.
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