A good many casualties were therefore inevitably caused to Boorman's platoon by our own shell fire, and he reached the traverse next to the first pillbox with only two corporals, Sherwood and Whitworth.
Sheltering himself against the wall, he threw his bombs into each door of the pillbox before the Germans inside had recovered from the effects of Sherwood and Whitworth's attack.
This neat piece of work secured the pillbox to us, but before Boorman could reorganise his party for the further advance to the second pillbox Bell's platoon had occupied the trench.
The principal resistance, as had been anticipated, was encountered in the neighbourhood of Winnipeg cross-roads, and at a pillbox which lay between them and the cemetery.
Three fortifications were especially formidable: a steel pillbox near the contested Burns-Philp pier; a coconut log emplacement with multiple machine guns; and a large bombproof shelter further inland.
Capture of the largest position, a concrete pillbox near the beach, enabled easier approaches to the remaining bunkers.
At the same time, the medium tank “Colorado” maneuvered close enough to the steel pillbox to penetrate it with direct 75 mm fire.
Company B suffered several casualties when it ran into strong rifle and pillbox fire, which pinned it down.
Private Brostrom singlehandedly destroyed a pillbox and killed six Japanese before collapsing from his wounds.
The 1st Battalion encountered a strong concrete enemy pillbox which was believed to be a command post, since there were no firing apertures.
Meanwhile Company E pushed down the left side of the road but was halted by fire from an enemy pillbox on a knoll.
The company fought the Japanese from pillbox to pillbox, catching the enemy on his flanks and rear by rifle and machine gun fire, together with time-burst fire from the self-propelled howitzers.
They successfully neutralized the pillboxand a supporting position behind it.
After a further advance of 200 yards, when a flame thrower aimed at a pillbox failed to ignite, he threw a bundle of lighted papers in front of the pillbox.
As grenades had no effect it became necessary finally to neutralize the pillbox by pouring gasoline down the ventilation pipes and setting it afire.
Most of the men had tiny pillbox caps of woven straw on the backs of their heads.
He wore only a breechcloth and the little pillbox hat in which he kept his matches and tobacco.
Pillbox was adamant, and departed saying that Nurse Harding would arrive directly with full instructions as to the treatment of the complaint.
Pillbox (evidently a most attentive practitioner) arrived to pay a second visit.
Crouching behind a concrete wall, he showed me a pillbox about 25 feet away that was full of Japs who were still very much alive and full of fight.
