Festung Guernsey excavated a Unterstand WaKoFest last week. The bunker at Wn Garen near L’Ancresse Bay was closed for many years.

For more info and photos see http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=188901 and http://www.steve-powell.co.uk/Festung/Wn.Garen%20-%20Personnel%20Shelter/index.html

Opening up the personnel bunker at Wn Garen. (Photo: Steve Powell)

Some weeks ago we came into contact with a Marineflak veteran which was stationed at Trégastel, south of Brest in Bretagne, France.

Wolfgang Weber came in from the Flakschule at Misdroy at the Baltic Coast at the age of 19. His story combined with our fieldwork can be found here.

I must say, you do know a lot more about MFlak 811 than I ever had the opportunity to gather while I was there. And that is now long ago. Memories fade. [..] Perhaps I can shed a little light here or there.

I arrived  at 396 in about March of 44 coming from the Flak Training Center near Misdroy at the German Baltic Sea coast. During that short span of time until the Allied invasion and subsequent advances, there really wasn’t much time getting acquainted with the area and location of units. I knew that the heavy guns were of the 10.5 double barrel type. There were 2cm positions in the area but not in our immediate vicinity, to my knowledge.

About 5./MFlak (my unit), I don’t know of any other guns of that caliber in the area besides the 3 at BR 396. [..] There were no bunkers at our location. However, close to one of the guns a natural rock formation had created a small low ceiling cave that was utilized as storage place for non-military items of sorts. Each of the guns was positioned on top of three rock plateaus with a low concrete wall around it with storage space for the ammo.

The location of the Bt staff of 5./MFlak 811 was at the western limit of Plougastel proper near the water tower. As I was told, French labor was used building a defense trench system around the position. To no surprise, when enemy troops arrived in the area, well targeted artillerie barrages created havoc. The water tower received a direct hit. I have no knowledge of the number of 2 cm guns as well as the location the Bt staff.

[..]
The Abteilungsstaff was positioned at Plougastel. I was transferred there from 396 to help establish a unit to use forward observer reports about enemy troop advances converting those into coordinates and transmitting them to the batteries for ground defensive fire. After the enemy artillery succesfully destroyed that unit, we were relocated to an empty cinder block building south of Plougastel in an open field area to continue our work. Soon after, a targeted bombing raid leveled this building putting us out of business. With the enemy now advancing south towards the tip of the peninsula, the batteries were ordered to fire at will, we were attached to a small infantry unit which a few short days later had to surrender. I do remember the small Fortress Corbeau. I was there only once for a few hours of work detail.

After staying at POW camps in Landerneau, Morlaix, Rennes, and Tourlaville (Cherbourg) I was sent to the US and was at POW Camp Howze in Gainesville, near Dallas, TX until Feb 1946 when the POW’s were transferred to England, where I stayed at a POW Camp near Cockermouth in the Lake District until discharge to Germany in August of 1947.

I really don’t know if my notes are of any value or use to you. However, I had fun doing it.

Best wishes for now.
Wolfgang W.

Wolfgang Weber off duty in March 1944. (Private collection of Mr Weber)

We’ve added the interesting command complex at Rijksdorp, Wassenaar to the website.

This complex used by different German staffs throughout the war and later on, in the Cold War, it was reused by the Dutch air force. Also some small additions at Wassenaarse Slag like a Tobruk for tank turret. Wassenaar at Bunkersite.com.

118a hospital bunker at Rijksdorp. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

In Audresselles, on the sea wall, a 612 casemate is for sale. Attached is a house.

http://www.immobilier-lariviere.com/456352/56862465/detail,sento.htm?lang=fr

612 Audresselles. (Photo: bunkersite.com)

The Dutch prize for the best initiative in our field of interest was awarded again this year. The winner is Stichting WO2 Goeree-Overflakkee (Association for the preservation of World War 2 heritage on the former island of Goeree-Overflakkee). Volunteers of the group unearthed a complete German Widerstandsnest.

I think it’s encouraging to see that this was a cooperation between local authorities, an environmental organization and the abovementioned association. Official organizations begin to acknowledge that German bunkers are part of history and can be of great value, both environmentally and touristically.

The award will be handed over on April 7. We will meet at 12.15 at Bezoekerscentrum De Punt. (3253 MC, Ouddorp, the Netherlands). Foreign visitors are very welcome!

The Gouden Betonmolen is an initiative by the Dutch fortificatieforum to award people or groups who are doing a special thing for fortifications in Holland. It was quickly baptised National Golden Concrete mixer by local media back then.

The first winner of the price was Stichting Bunkerbehoud for the complete renovation of the artillery observation bunker type 143 at the Oranjemolen in Vlissingen. Later winners were Bunkermuseum IJmuiden and Leo den Dulk.

Written instructions inside an unearther Tobruk. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

We’ve been working on our new house style for quite a while. It’s a painstaking job but we’re getting there.

What has been updated in the past months? In the Altantikwall part all of Norway, Belgium, Channel Islands and France are now converted. The same goes for Other Locations except for Poland. With the conversion came lots of additions and new photos.

What to expect next? After Denmark, Holland and Poland all the locations are done. What’s left is the Panzeratlas which will receive a huge update with lots of corrections and new pictures. It will be more complete than it is now, and the best source on armoured material on the net.

For now some of our favorites: Île de Ré, V 143, Cable special, Todt, M 159 Arros, De Punt, Kristiansand, B-Werk, Wn Perleberg, Rocquaine Bay, 617 Torteval, Wissant, Barbara, U-Bootbunker St Nazaire, 40.6 cm SK C/34 and so on and so on!

667 Isnain, Pontrieux, Bretagne. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)

Bunkers are getting hot. Even in fashion. Best thing I’ve seen in years!

Try to wear a Ringstand this summer, you’ll be a trendsetter!

Sylvie Ungauer’s website.

Prêt-à-porter (extrait) from sylvie ungauer on Vimeo.

Dutch artist Jet Nijkamp is working on her project Bunkerleven (Bunker life). What thoughts do we trust with the concrete bunkers? Their walls contain stories of life, hope, love, war, sex and death. Help Nijkamp extend the project from drawings and paintings to an installation, the bunker of thought, at Retort Art Space. Visit http://www.voordekunst.nl/vdk/project/view/204-bunkerleven

My personal favorite, this sliding Tobruk. (By Jet Nijkamp)

French rescue teams use the tunnels of Margival to practise on emergency cases.

http://www.lunion.presse.fr/article/aisne/lancien-qg-dhitler-devient-lieu-de-sauvetage

A nice short private film of the casemates of Batterie Longues sur Mer in Normandie. The guns are still there today, but in 1946 you could still operate them.

Source is Cinémathèque de Normandie.