Casemate 76

Peter Cobb, 63, long term active member of the FSG, and a bastion of numerous fortification and military groups, died of a heart attack in January 2006. Many members will remember Peter's avid and intrepid exploring and his great enthusiasm for investigating all available black and uninviting holes. He was a member of the FSG from its very early days, a regular attender of Conferences, Committee member for several terms, and a fount of knowledge on a vast range of military matters. His reports on all matters fortification from the Central SE Region for this magazine were a valuable contribution and provided a representative sample of the state of fortifications around the world, and their many trials and tribulations. Peter was a doer; often described as an eccentric, and sometimes as an obsessive, he was one who got things done. He established the UK Fortifications Club, still going strong and now combined with the Pillbox Study Group; he spent hours and days ferreting in record offices; he maintained a close liaison with the Portsmouth and Hampshire authorities; he led parties round the Portsdown forts and Hilsea Lines. He spent his working life in the Naval Dockyard and was instrumental in saving HMS Victory in the storm of 1987. His family has very kindly donated his papers and books to the PFS, who have sent appropriate material to UKFC/PSG and FSG. A founding member and stalwart of the Palmerston Forts society, we shall all miss his colourful character and immense knowledge.
Charles Blackwood, with thanks to Deane & Celia Clark

Douglas Darroch Snr, FSG member and owner of Fort Perch Rock, Liverpool, died on 20 March 2006 after a fall at the fort. Bernard Lowry writes that Doug had a great enthusiasm for the fort and the local area, setting up exhibitions on local military history. He took over the fort from Norman Kingham, opening it up to a wider public without spoiling what he inherited or spending a lot of money on it, encouraging more people in who might not have visited this fort, unique in the NW. He opposed a major development proposed for New Brighton seafront, which he felt would overwhelm the fort. The results of an enquiry are awaited (Bernard also made a response to the proposals. Ed). Doug Jnr, his son, is also enthusiastic for the fort, and hopefully will carry on work there.

Richard Harbottle, a member of long standing, who served on your Committee and regularly attended Conferences and Tours, died in hospital from a brain tumour on December 13 2005, aged 71. A woodland burial took place on December 20 at Hexham Cemetery. Richard was a chartered accountant and one of North-East England's leading business figures who played a key part in setting up several local organizations, social and medical, was chairman of Northumberland Health Authority for a number of years and was trustee of a number of charitable trusts. He was a 'generous, supportive and inspiring person' and had 'helped an awful lot of people and made a lasting impression on so many'. He was very good company.

Simon Hendrik Poppema (1924-2006), officer in the order of Orange-Nassau, a distinguished member of the Stichting Menno van Coehoorn since 1976, joined the Fortress Study Group on a number of occasions at conferences and tours, with his wife Elisabeth. With Jan Moelart, who worked so hard for the Stichting, and who also joined our meetings, he planned and guided us on the tour of the Netherlands on the occasion of the Stichting's 60th anniversary in 1992; many of us had attended its 50th (Casemate 10). The meticulous planning enabled us to see an enormous amount of the country's rich fortification heritage. Thanks were expressed and tribute paid to 'all those whose research and knowledge had made it possible, particularly Simon Poppema. Everything, including alterations in plans went smoothly under his capable direction' (Casemate 34 p6). He received the Coehoorn Mortar from the Stichting in 1992. He took the initiative in the publication of the Stichting's Newsletter Kwartaalbericht, for which he wrote articles and reviews. He was keen to promote links between sister societies in England, Belgium and Germany, and was instrumental in setting up the International Fortress Council. His suggestions to me as Editor of Casemate eventually resulted in the feature 'Newsletters of other Societies' each May. A picture of him with our Patron, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, and Chairman Jock Hamilton Baillie, appears on the front page of Casemate 30. This was during the FSG's 15th anniversary celebrations in 1990 at Plymouth, but he was also at the Thames conference in 1992 and on the tour of Poland in 1994. In 1995 he was unable to be present at the Portsmouth conference, but sent good wishes to accompany the presentation of an inscribed glass tankard from the Stichting to the FSG. He took the trouble to write to me with help in understanding Dutch, which I was trying to read, but it became plain that he was less and less able to join us in person. His death has robbed us not only of a fortification expert and keen participating member of the FSG, but of the initiator of the scheme to build bridges between our societies, which it is my hope will not now lapse entirely. I have rarely known a kinder more gentle man. He will be sorely missed.
Margaret Pinsent.

We send our condolences to their families.