THE DEFENCE OF STOPLINE 'B', THE IRONSIDE LINE

On Sunday September 13th. At the request of the National Trust, the 23rd. Sussex Home Guard presented a recreation of a defended section of the GHQ Stopline between Dorking and Guildford.

This required a convoy of FWD vehicles ferrying the HQ Section and one Rifle section of Home Guardsmen from a disused farmstead nestling in the North Surrey Downs to 3 Type 24 Pillboxes straddling the North Downs Way.

The task was then to fully arm them with a Vickers Gun, Northover Projector, Boys Anti-Tank Rifle Mk.1 and a selection of light machine guns, rifles and sub machine carbines. The pillboxes were fully garnished with netting and stocked with ammunition, grenades and all the gear need for a defensive unit.

The day was spent in patrolling, posting sentries etc. and giving talks and weapon firing demonstrations to the large group of interested general public that the National Trust Wardens escorted to us from the Dorking end of the North Downs Way.

Further coverage will be available in an upcoming edition of Britain At War Magazine