Sabers help preserve World War II era Belgium Bunker

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

U.S. Air Force Sabers from the 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron here volunteered to preserve recovered artifacts and clear out debris from a World War II era bunker Aug. 28, 2016, at Fort Aubin-Neufchâteau in Belgium.

The excavation of some of the rooms in the bunker will help the Fort Aubin Museum Association open more areas of the fort for tours.

The Belgium military still owns the fort, which is now a historic site, but the museum association is responsible for the preserving the fort. The museum association also periodically provides guided tours of the fort to the public.

Airmen from Spangdahlem have been helping clean out bunkers at Fort Aubin for the past three years.

 

The 25 Saber volunteers started this cleaning season by breaking bread and enjoying a breakfast provided by the museum volunteers. Then the Airmen received a guided tour of the bunker before getting to work.

“Today we are welcoming people from Spangdahlem Air Base who will help us maintain and renovate the fort,” said Alexandre Renerken, volunteer press officer for Fort Aubin Museum Association.   

The Belgium military built the fort in the 1930s to help defend the Belgium border.

During World War II, enemy forces surrounded the fort, which received heavy artillery fire and aerial bombing. The Belgians withstood the attack for 11 days, but the defenders of the fort exhausted their ammunition supply. With no reinforcements coming, the enemy captured the fort, said Renerken.

“The amount of history at this particular fort is amazing,” said Tim Peters, 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Service Center NCO in charge. "Just seeing the living conditions where roughly 520 occupants, who were only in their early 20s, were living hundreds of feet underground, fighting for 11 days straight, is just a humbling experience."

 

Under enemy control, the bunker served as a test site for the Röchling shell, a bunker-busting artillery round. Due to the damage this testing caused only about 30 percent of the bunker remains accessible today.

“We’re here to assist the Belgians in anyway with the restoration and preservation of this bunker,” said Senior Airman Justin Mickle, 52nd LRS supply journeyman.

Several Sabers also helped repaint an M4 Sherman tank on display out in front of the fort.

“The Airmen from Spangdahlem have been very helpful for doing this project,” said Renerken. “We couldn’t do this alone.”

The fort is only open to the public on every third Sunday of each month between March and November. The guided tours start at 2 p.m and go for about 90 minutes. 

Visit http://fort-aubin-neufchateau.be for more information on touring the fort.