Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 4 months ago
A rare piece of wartime history is opening to the public for the first time since 1945. A refurbished pillbox -- once used to defend Filton's vital aircraft factories -- is being unveiled at Aerospace Bristol, marking 85 years since the devastating Filton Blitz. Built during the height of World War Two, these small concrete bunkers were crucial in protecting against enemy attacks. Now, this newly restored landmark offers a glimpse into Filton's frontline role in Britain's war effort.
Transcript
00:00I remember coming out one night and seeing the sky red and why is the sky red at night and it wasn't to the west it was somewhere down to the east and I was told it was Bath who was on fire they'd bombed Bath now they may have it may have been Bristol I don't know to be honest but at least my parents said it was Bath probably because Bristol was nearer and they thought well we don't tell them it's too big.
00:30Bath was a long way off to me in those days so there we are so just behind me here is the pillbox which has been unveiled to mark the 85th anniversary of the blitz what actually is the pillbox what was it meant for let's chat to their team to find out very local and only for the defense of this airfield I mean it it was not a major home guard it was an RA
00:59post so it would have been manned entirely in only in emergencies the last resort but it never was so it's never fired a shot as far as I know.
01:14So pillbox like the one behind me would have been built around 1940 1941 it's a defensive structure fortunately never had to be used but it was a very important site during the war there was obviously always the risk that there could have been a land invasion of Britain and if that had happened then the pillbox would have been a place where the home guard and the army
01:42the army could defend this important site.
01:45And some of the volunteers here at Aerospace Bristol actually remember the Bristol Blitz and they were here on Filton Airfield let's chat to them to find out what it was actually like.
01:57Well I only remember really being sort of at school in Frampton Cottrell in school road and having to carry my gas mask up there with and with my sister as well carrying gas mask all the way to school and back from school to home.
02:20It would have been a little cardboard box and we had a drill we did have to go and practice going into an area shelter at school and that was comprised of a brick blast wall and an open sewer.
02:43A large sewer which would have been about a five foot diameter or one and a half metres, two metres maybe almost diameter pipe and that was it. That's what was our air raid shelter.
02:59A large space, two and a half and a half instance.
03:05In the past, our employees would be able to sit down the stairs and make sure your pamphlets and people are in the company's house, and they would have been able to have a successful plan for people in that country.
03:09But as you can see, you can see that there are different places in the city.
03:14These are the other companies that are going to be able to study.
03:17Even if people believe that there are the ones that are designed to be built by the family, and they are in the company here because they have the most commonplace.
Comments

Recommended