Bunker Belt Bruggenhoofd Gent - Support Line Bunker D23

Belgian bunker, part of the Ghent Bridge Head. This defensive position was constructed between 1934 and 1938 eight kilometers south of Ghent. Its construction was part of the fortification policy that Belgium pursued after the First World War.
The actual bridgehead was made up of two resistance nests – Betsberg and Muntekouter – and three support points – Semmerzake, Eke and Astene.
The resistance nests and support points were connected to each other via a curtain, consisting of three lines of defense.

There are a total of 19 bunkers on Wetteren territory, eight of which have now been demolished.
Bunker D23, consisting of one room and an lock, was the last support line bunker close to the Scheldt in Kwatrecht.
It was only equipped for mounting a Maxim machine gun. The loophole was hidden behind a metal hatch. The entrance had several concrete steps and a death pit at the bottom. The whole was painted pink-red with a green eaves.
The intention was to keep the traffic on the Scheldt under fire heading in the direction of Ghent. The bunker probably sagged (away from the Scheldt) due to a heavy projectile impact during the war.

This small bunker is located on the Scheldt behind the buildings of the Medical-Pedagogical Institute St.Lodewijk in Kwatrecht.
To reach it effectively, it is best to take the road behind the MPI buildings.
To do this, one must first cross their private property.

Detailed information about this bunker belt can be found on the Bunker Belt Bruggenhoofd Ghent site.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck