Bunker BM 1 Barchon

Rue Saivelette, 4671 Barchon

Belgium Liège Barchon

This is bunker BM 1 of sector Barcho-Meuse of the 2nd line of defense for the city of Liège (PFL 2, le Position Fortifiée de Liège).

The sector Barchon-Meuse consists of 8 bunkers between the fort of Barchon en the river Meuse. To the west it borders the sector of Evegnée-Barchon (EB).

The bunker is almost overgrown with ivy. Even in winter the bunker is bearly recognisable. Only on the side there is one part visible and it shows the camouflage pattern. This was a pattern of into cement cut out (carved) bricks. This was to avoid regognition by enemy planes.

The bunker is located on private property but can be seen from the road. The owner of the plot made the bunker into his shed.

The walls and ceiling of the bunkers from the PFL were standard 1.30 m. thick and of reinforced concrete. They had to be able to withstand shells of 150 mm. To illustrate, the caliber of shells a Königstiger could fire was caliber 88 mm. Thus, only heavier caliber field guns could penetrate the concrete and potentially destroy the bunker.

The bunkers were built in the 1930s.

After the war, when the bunkers lost their strategic value for the Belgian army, the plots of land on which they stood were sold. All the metal of the hatches and doors was sold as scrap metal. Hence the that most bunkers are now on private plots.

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