Central intelligence and alert bunker CPRA, Liège

Within la Position Fortifiée de Liège, a network of 34 small communication bunkers existed. So-called Centraux Telephoniques Fortifiées, (CTF). For example bunker CTF 21 te Saint-André.

Through these CTFs, the bunkers and forts of the PFL could communicate with each other. Soldiers who were in one of the PFL's bunkers could request connection to the forts through the CTF and vice versa. The more than 200 underground secret telephone boxes could also connect to these CTFs.

A special role within this communications network was for this large bunker, “Centre Provinciaux de Reseignements et d'Alerte,” short for CPRA, here at the foot of the Citadelle. Or intelligence and alert bunker.

This bunker served as a central intelligence bunker to which local posts could relay observations about troopmovements ore bombers, for example. This Provincial intelligence bunker, in turn, was connected to headquarters in Brussels. Intelligence and alerts were passed on via this route.

The bunker could be entered from the Citadelle via a staircase gallery.

The access to the bunker itself was closed with a lock with 3 steel doors. Then, through the 1st window which was also closed with a steel door, one could get to the central part of the bunker which consisted of 4 rooms. In southernmost of these rooms was the central switchboard on which connections could be made. 100 pairs of connections.

From this central room one could still get through a steel door towards the 3 rooms under the air purification system. Also, from the central room a last small room closed with steel door could be accessed on the west side of the bunker.

In the corner (see photo 2) was the emergency exit. Still just visible. The ground level at the time of construction was much lower than today.

The tower is an air ventilation unit.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski
• www.39-45.org