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Saturday work party
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The work party on Saturday 18 October will be at Fort Nelson.
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New membership Year
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A new membership year has begun. All members who have renewed their membership by returning their renewal form will shortly be receiving a copy of the Society Journal, The Redan. This is currently at the Printer.
The log-on and password for the member's section the website will shortly be changed. If you have not yet renewed but intend to please contact the webmaster for a renewal form.
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AGM October 11 2008
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At the AGM of the Society on Saturday 11 October 2008
the new Committee that was elected as follows:
Chairman: Mr G.Salvetti
Vice-Chairman: Mr M.Darling
Secretary: Mr.G.Hallett
Treasurer Mr.D.Moore
Members: Mr. R.Mumford
Mrs. R.Whitlock
Mrs.J.Price
Mr.M Forrest
Mr.J.Chittenden
Mr.I. Stevenson
It was decided to keep the membership fees for the year ending October 2009 the same as the current year.
£20 UK and EC members
£22 non-EC Europe members
£25 world members
Members can view the financial report by visiting the members section of the website.
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Forts on Phtotsynth
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Here is a Photosynth of Fort Scraesdon in Plymouth
Fort Scraesdon Photosynth
The PFS website now has a link to forts appearing on Photosynth.
It can be accessed directly here:
Forts on Photosynth
Or via the Fortification Gallery page.
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Fort Gillicker
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The News, Portsmouth have recently given space to the planning application for Fort Gilkicker, often quoting a self appointed spokesperson for 'The Public' who represents no one but himself. Perhaps in future The News will try to add a balanced viewpoint.
Read the latest here:
The News
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New Youtube Videos
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COALMONK5 (Chris and Shaun) have posted some videos of Isle of Wight fortifications to Youtube. There are two on the Needles Batteries, one of Spitbank Fort and the latest one is on Puckpool Mortar Battery.
All can be viewed by visiting Youtube or by using the link here:
You Tube Fortification Videos
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64pr RML in Photosynth
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Microsoft have provided Photosynth for viewing objects and places in 3D. Here is one, created at Fort Nelson, of the 64pr RML on the West rampart.
Photosynth of 64pr at Fort Nelson
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Hoo Fort
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Hoo and Darnet Forts were commenced 1861. In 1867 they were reduced from the planned three tiers to two, after severe problems with subsidence, and they were commissioned in 1871. They are constructed on islands that lie either side of the main channel of the River Medway about 1 Km apart, down-river of Chatham Dockyard.
The forts are circular giving all-round defence. Accommodation casemates and magazines were on the ground floor with gun casemates above, all casemates being built around a circular parade ground. Early in 1863 the design was changed, moving the magazines from a central location to the sides. This caused a shift in weight resulting in cracks in the masonry at Hoo, then Darnet. This was arrested with iron bands round the masonry and iron tie rods into the concrete.
The forts were disarmed before WW1 but remained in care and maintenance until 1920. In 1930 experiments were carried out at Hoo Fort, and to a lesser extent at Darnet Fort, ‘to ascertain the likely damage to undergound magazinescaused by accidental explosion of stored cases of cordite’. The accommodation casemates were used for the above ground experiments whilst the magazines were used for the below ground experiments. Some damage was recorded and the final test caused the collapse of the magazine roof.
In WW2 they served as observation posts, with small brick structures built on their tops. Both forts remain in good condition. Hoo is still owned by the Ministry of Defence
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October Meeeting
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The members meeting on Wednesday October 22 will be
The fortifications of Ontario, Canada; including Fort Henry by Ian Stevenson.
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Firepower & Tilbury visit
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Seventeen members of the PFS with guests visited Firepower Museum of Artillery at Chatham and Tibury Fort on Saturday 20 September 2008. The nearby Greenwich Heritage Centre and the Royal Military Academy were also open. Our original intention was to visit New tavern Fort at Gravesend but on the day we diecided to travel on to Tilbury Fort instead as the magazines at New Tavern were closed and only the gardens and battery were open. The day visit was enjoyed by all. A special outing newsletter can be viewed on the Members' Page of this website.
Details here Royal Arsenal
The coach was driven and supplied by PFS member Roger Richardson of Richardson Travel
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Fortlogs updated
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Various of the Isle of Wight 'fortlogs' have just been updated. They include the ones on Yaverland Battery, Bembridge Fort, Redcliff Battery, Cliff End Battery and a new one on Bouldnor battery. Although this is a WWII battery it has been added to the series for completeness. All can be found on the Fortlogs page of the PFS site here:
Fortlogs
Complete sets can be downloaded from the PFS Members' Only Page.
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Isle of Wight Fortifications and Batteries website
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Two members of the Undergound Kent Forum have recently returned from a holiday on the Isle of Wight visiting varoius fortifications. They were so enthused with what they saw that they have put up a website on the forts. Called Isle of Wight Fortifications and Batteries, the website can be found here:
IOW Forts and Batteries
It features photographs, data and links to the PFS 'Fortlog' datasheets on twenty of the Island's sites.
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Yaverland Battery
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At Sandown Bay on the Isle of Wight, Yaverland Battery has recently had some landscaping work done and portions of the old Carnot wall to the Battery with two musketry caponiers have been uncovered. This work was done to enhance the surroundings of the holiday homes which occupy the battery but already local vandals have damaged the coping of the wall and the interior of one of the caponiers.
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Fort Gilkicker Restoration and Conversion
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Askett Hawk Developments have submitted the planning application for Fort Gilkicker to Gosport Council. This is for the Restoration of the Grade II listed building and scheduled ancient monument and conversion to 26 dwellings, residents stores and interpretation room.
This application can be viewed at the Planning Reception, 3rd Floor, Town Hall, High Street, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1EB between the hours of 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.Gosport: Planning Application details
Examine the plans here:
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PFS Journal - The Redan
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At the AGM on Saturday October 11 2008 the membership will be asked to decide the level of provision of the PFS Journal and funding of the Society. Members can vote on the suggested options by logging in to the members page and selecting their choice.
Vote here:
The Committee welcomes alternative suggestions and comments.
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Fort Lantin
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Fort Lantin is one of nine forts built to defend the city of Liege in Belgium. The forts were designed by Belgian Army Engineer General Henri Alexis Brialmont. They were approved in 1887 and when completed in 1891 were hailed as a masterpiece of military engineering. Concrete was used in all aspects of their construction. Each work consisted of a central fortress of concrete called the 'central massif' in which were placed the main armaments of the fort in 'cupoules' of iron. The forts were of either a small or large trapezoidal shape or rectangular, with casemates in the gorge and a head casemate in the principal salient to flank the left and right laterals.
Fort Lantin is a small triangular fort to the north west of Liege. It fell to the Germans on 14 August 1914. Today it is open to the public on selected occasions.and is relatively intact. Its central massif has been restored with false turrets placed to show its original appearance.
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August 2008 News
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FWA has taken over the following properties
from government for restoration and opening to the public: The new properties are St. Thomas Tower at M’Scala
(1614) but kept in use till the 1950s as a detached military detention centre;
Madliena Tower (17th cent.) this comes complete with Malta’s
best rock-hewn fougasse; a WWII Beach-gun post; an AASL position WWII complete
with a sound-locating position; the old garrison church crypt in Valletta (to
be used as the Saluting Battery’s new museum; St. Peter & St. Paul’s
Counterguard in Valletta (having a large Victorian gunpowder store, a mine
watching post and an original 17th century stone vedette and of
course the War Headquarters which has about 3 miles of tunnelling.
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29 Aug 2008 by Mario Farrugia
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Belgium Fortifications visit 2008
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From August 15 to August 17 2008 some members of the PFS visited some of the fortifications of Belgium.
Pictures of the visit can be seen here:
Belgium 2008 Fortifications visit
The visit was centred in Liege. Places visited were the Brialmont Forts Loncin and Lantin, The Vaubin Fortress at Le Quesnoy and Namur, The Citadel of Huy, The fort of Eben-Emael on the Albert Canal, Fort Napoleon at Ostend and The Atlantic Wall Museum. The visit was ably organised by Richardson Travel of Midhurst
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Fort Picklecombe: Plymouth
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The former Officers' Quarters at Fort Picklecome, Plymouth are currently undergoing conversion to an exclusive development of nine luxury apartments including two penthouses. Details including photographs, elevation drawings and floor plans can be viewed on the website here:
Fort Picklecome Development
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Maltese Cavalry
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Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna are hoping to add more horses to the two they currently have. Their aim is a 12 horse formation.
FWA will be premiering the cavalry element of its re-enactment team with a number of horse-mounted troops representing mounted infantry from the late 19th century. These will give a display of military horsemanship skills illustrating how they fought on horseback, using a whole myriad of period weaponry from the sword to the lance. The public will be offered a rare insight into the art and skill of 19th century military sword fighting. An expert in the field will provide a short interactive lecture on the subject using different examples of swords in use at the time. A sword fighting team will show how they fought with the different weapons. More details here: Malta Independent News |
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Malta News
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Geoff and Kate Hallett have just returned from a holiday break in Malta, during which they visited Rinella Battery and Valetta.
Geoff has produced a report on some of the forts, which can be read in full here:
Malta report March 2008
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Guestbook
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Please leave a message for the PFS here.  |
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