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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: LMChapman on Thursday 20 July 23 16:22 BST (UK)
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I am interested in the building of coastal defenses in Fife during the Second World War.
Does anyone know is it possible at all to find out which local businesses/people were involved in the planning and construction of such defenses?
I doubt such things would have been mentioned in newspapers?
Thanks for your help.
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Have a read at
https://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar2009-0847-0856_Potts.pdf
The author Keith Potts goes into quite a bit of detail about various contracts (although I didn't spot anything mentioning Fife) - the problem may lie in identifying which of the then existing Government Ministries had overall responsibility for Coastal defences.
However from what I have read it appears that any of these contracts which still exist are held in the National Archives at Kew.
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Not the Aberdour area but is the information on the following Canmore website any help?
Regards, Dod.
http://canmore.org.uk/event/588252
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Although referring to the Clyde area this article
https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2018/04/defending-the-clyde/
does refer to the National Archives holding the records of building work undertaken
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There's an excellent book about defence construction in Scotland:
If Hitler Comes - Preparing for Invasion Scotland 1940. Gordon Barclay, Birlinn 2013
Very detailed indeed although little about civilian input. There are, however, full references given which might lead to further reading. Highly recommended.
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Thanks for all your advice!