Bunker I - Advanced Position Hombourg

This is bunker I of the Advanced Position at Hombourg.

Located on private land, the bunker is a fine example of a bunker camouflaged as a barn, complete with roof. Very special that this bunker is completely preserved after almost 90 ages (2025). In later ages some additions were added, but clearly at the front one can see that this is a bunker of the PA, The artillery opening and vents are clearly recognizable. Also at the rear one can recognize the thick walls common to these bunkers. A “beautiful” example of a PA bunker that had to blend into its surroundings.

These small bunkers are of 60 cm thick concrete. The roof is of 50 cm thick concrete and only the rear is of 40 cm thick concrete, because no attack was expected from that side. These bunkers could withstand 77 mm shells. These bunker were standardly equipped with steel hatch and door. When the bunkers lost their strategic importance after the war, they were sold. The iron door and hatch were sold as scrap metal.

This bunker thus belongs to the 14 forward bunkers of the Hombourg sector. The bunker was manned by the soldiers of the barracks from Hombourg. This was a so-called cyclist barracks. The so-called 'cyclistes frontières', frontier cyclists, who guarded the borders.

There were several forward positions (including Hombourg, Stavelot, Henri-Chapelle, Dolhain) that provided small shelters. These bunkers could accommodate 4 soldiers with machine guns. These positions did not belong to a specific sector of any of the 4 lines of defense for the city of Liège, la Position Fortifiée de Liège (PFL). As a sector, they had an independent position.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski
• La Position Fortifiée de Liège, Coenen & Vernier.