Bunker E - Position Avancée Henri-Chapelle

The defense lines of the city of Liège, known as "La Posistion Fortifiée de Liège" consisted of 4 defense lines built around Liège. It consisted of 16 forts with numerous line bunkers in between.

In addition to these line bunkers, there were also so-called 'Position Avancées' forward positions. These were located in Henri-Chapelle, Jalhay, Limbourg, Dolhain, and even Stavelot, among others.

This bunker 'E' belonged to the forward position of Henri-Chapelle. This position consisted of 12 bunkers, A through M.

These small bunkers served the Belgian Army as observation and protection bunkers for the frontier cyclists stationed in nearby barracks of the of the 'Gardes Frontière'. These barracks were located in Hombourg and Henri-Chapelle, among others.

The 'cyclistes frontières', frontier cyclists, who guarded the borders, moved by bicycle on patrol, and to the surrounding bunkers in adjacent sectors.

This bunker "E" is now located in a private plot. With the owner's permission, I was allowed to take a few photos. It is the same type of bunker found at the other forward positions. However, this one is camouflaged with bricks as if it was part of the farm and so not to be noticed by the enemy. The bunker also used to have a roof to enhance its camouflage. This roof has not survived the test of time.

What remains is a well-preserved bunker. The original door, with lock and key are still present (after almost 100 years !). I have not found a door with lock in any other bunker of the PA. Remarkable is the degree of rust of both the door and the corrugated ceiling. In no other bunker of the PA is this rust affected as much as in this bunker.

Unfortunately, at the time these photos were taken, a renovation was underway, so construction material and the removed bathtub obstructed the view of the bunker.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski