After spending some time in Granville last year (cf past reports) and getting to look at a few bits of the Atlantikwall defences up there, I decided that this year it was time to take the family to Holland for a holiday (I am absolutely in no way guilty of choosing locations for family holidays based on their proximity to military ruins, honest m'lud). The whole of North Holland was massively important during WWII - and still is - because of Den Helder, which is home to the Dutch Navy. So I had a fair old idea that there would be some interesting stuff up there, but I had no idea how much. Really, the 20 square miles around Den Helder is like the mother lode of German Concrete Porn, and the only thing that was unfortunate was how little time I had to visit it all, in between buying the kids ice cream and stopping the family tent from blowing down.
Anyway, the pictures below are from Huisdenen. This was the home of German Naval Artillery Unit 808, which was the Flakcommandgruppe responsible for Den Helder's anti-aircraft defences. This unit controlled all the AA defences around Den Helder and on the nearby island of Texel, which was also seen as tactically important by the Germans, who were worried about an allied invasion launched from East Anglia.
The site is dominated by this 13m high watchtower. You can't get into it, (well not without the help of Fluffy''s massive extending ladder, fnarr, fnarr) but it is quite impressive.
The bunker at the bottom of the watchtower is well and truly sealed. The fact that the whole site is on sand dunes and surrounded by barbed wire, because it is now part of a nature reserve, hasn't stopped it being "visited" by the local ne'er-do-wells, more of which later
There are number of other bunkers here. This is the most easily accessible one. There are a lot of metal fittings still remaining here, and evidence that there were latrines or a kitchen in it.
This next bunker was properly underground. I didn't go all the way in because a) I was on my own, b) I had quite a bad feeling about it and c) several of the locals had told me that the defences here have a habit of collapsing into the sand dunes at short notice. As it happens, my ill feeling was confirmed later on
So I went off down the steps of the final bunker which is on the seaward side of the site, snapping away merrily......
...when I came across three Dutch bagheads using the place to shoot up in! Fortunately, they were too stoned to give chase. Needless to say, I pegged it out of there - rather in the manner of "Ross Kemp on Gangs". Now those of you who know me personally will bear witness to the fact that I am not the most agile of men (STOP SNIGGERING AT THE BACK DERELICT-UK!), but I am fairly sure I would have given Usain Bolt a good run for his money on this occasion. This was a shame, as this site is really interesting, with so much more to give up. This is demonstrated by a couple of finds nearby the site, such as what seems to be a small pillbox and the mount for a gun or rangefinder
I think I will be returning within the next year without a doubt! More Dutch Atlantikwall action to come though, across the next few days.
Thanks for looking
Godzy
Anyway, the pictures below are from Huisdenen. This was the home of German Naval Artillery Unit 808, which was the Flakcommandgruppe responsible for Den Helder's anti-aircraft defences. This unit controlled all the AA defences around Den Helder and on the nearby island of Texel, which was also seen as tactically important by the Germans, who were worried about an allied invasion launched from East Anglia.
The site is dominated by this 13m high watchtower. You can't get into it, (well not without the help of Fluffy''s massive extending ladder, fnarr, fnarr) but it is quite impressive.
The bunker at the bottom of the watchtower is well and truly sealed. The fact that the whole site is on sand dunes and surrounded by barbed wire, because it is now part of a nature reserve, hasn't stopped it being "visited" by the local ne'er-do-wells, more of which later
There are number of other bunkers here. This is the most easily accessible one. There are a lot of metal fittings still remaining here, and evidence that there were latrines or a kitchen in it.
This next bunker was properly underground. I didn't go all the way in because a) I was on my own, b) I had quite a bad feeling about it and c) several of the locals had told me that the defences here have a habit of collapsing into the sand dunes at short notice. As it happens, my ill feeling was confirmed later on
So I went off down the steps of the final bunker which is on the seaward side of the site, snapping away merrily......
...when I came across three Dutch bagheads using the place to shoot up in! Fortunately, they were too stoned to give chase. Needless to say, I pegged it out of there - rather in the manner of "Ross Kemp on Gangs". Now those of you who know me personally will bear witness to the fact that I am not the most agile of men (STOP SNIGGERING AT THE BACK DERELICT-UK!), but I am fairly sure I would have given Usain Bolt a good run for his money on this occasion. This was a shame, as this site is really interesting, with so much more to give up. This is demonstrated by a couple of finds nearby the site, such as what seems to be a small pillbox and the mount for a gun or rangefinder
I think I will be returning within the next year without a doubt! More Dutch Atlantikwall action to come though, across the next few days.
Thanks for looking
Godzy
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Well at least until she looked in the laundry basket the following day !! Nice report mate, will hopefully be in touch soon for a summer visit !!
