YOU WILL NOT PASS! Discovery of WW2 Graffiti gives new insight into wartime Scotland

Newly discovered WW2 graffiti shines a light on the contemporary humour and culture of auxiliary soldiers stationed in north-east Fife

Researchers from the University of St Andrews SCAPE team  made the discovery during a recent survey of World War II defences at Tentsmuir Forest close to their base at St Andrews. They recorded standing remains with local volunteers, while colleagues from St Andrews and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University used sensors to locate buried sites.

The team followed the line of concrete anti-tank cubes and pill boxes built to protect the coast from an anticipated German invasion. However, this highly dynamic stretch of coast is eroding in some parts and accreting in others, meaning that in places the evidence is now hundreds of metres inland, whilst elsewhere the concrete has been washed away. 

Only the tops of many of the buried anti-tank cubes are visible, and some of these were marked by their builders. Typically, dates are included and all are from 1940. Many also have people’s names inscribed on them. On one cube, the builders pushed a hammer and crowbar into the wet cement, producing an outline of their tools.  

Another shows the outline of a monkey wrench, together with the initials AMPC, which stands for the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. This cube also says ‘THE KIDDIES’, a nickname for the Scots Guards, although it is unsure if this is what it refers to. The cube also has several names on it, including Sgt Ince, T Gates, HB Moss, and Georgina, together with a cartoon face of a smiling soldier in a tin hat. 

Intriguingly, one cube has the slogan NO PASSARAN written on it, together with an English translation  ‘You will not pass’. Although spelled incorrectly, this is undoubtedly No Pasaran! – the famous anti-fascist slogan from the Spanish Civil War. This expression is still used by some people today and is the title of a single released by the Bluebells in late 2025. There is also the outline of a figure on this cube, shown in profile with a high collar. Although uncertain who it is meant to be, it has an uncanny resemblance to Spanish fascist leader, General Franco, although why someone would depict him in 1940 is unsure. 

Professor Tom Dawson, from the School of History at the University of St Andrews who was one of those who made the discovery, said :“The invaluable help from local volunteers has helped us rediscover a secret from the past. The anti-tank cubes were tall and surrounded in barbed wire, and I’m sure that the soldiers building them never expected anyone to discover the marks they’d made.”

Dr Juliette Mitchell from SCAPE who arranged the survey said, “Discoveries like this show exactly why SCAPE’s work with local communities recording coastal heritage matters – every site documented is a story saved.”

Mike Arrowsmith, member of the recording team, recognised the No Pasaran slogan and its association with the anti-fascist movement. “Many volunteers from Dundee and Fife went to fight in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and it is possible this was written by veterans themselves. It is amazing to find it etched onto a tank cube, and is a remarkable find.”

Dr Joanna Hambly from  SCAPE, heading up the surveys, said ‘I’m sure there must be much more graffiti awaiting discovery, and we’d love to hear from people who’ve found some. We’ll certainly keep our eyes open as we continue surveying the eroding heritage of Scotland’s coast’.

ENDS