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A Hidden Bunker Complex
During World War II, the Germans built a bunker complex next to the Albertinahoeve on Pykesweg in Kloetinge. This complex consisted of a large bunker and several Tobruk bunkers. The exact function of the site remains unknown, but in 1943, Goes was home to a regimental headquarters. It is possible that this bunker complex served as an alternate location. Some eyewitnesses mention a radio mast, suggesting a potential communication function. The presence of Tobruk bunkers, at the very least, indicates the strategic importance of the site.
Under the Zeeland Clay
Over the years, the landscape changed. Roads were rerouted, and land was raised, but the bunkers remained visible for a long time. In the mid-1970s, farmer Jan Harink decided to make the bunkers disappear. Demolition was too expensive, so they were undermined and pushed into a deep pit. Nearly 45 years later, the Bevrijdingsmuseum wanted to recover the Tobruk bunkers for the Liberation Park. The search began.
The Search Begins
In the summer of 2014, a group of volunteers from the Bevrijdingsmuseum began analyzing old aerial photographs. A photo from 1970 showed lighter spots that could indicate bunker locations. Armed with probing rods and metal detectors, they searched the area, but without success. When a passerby mentioned encountering an obstacle during pond work, it was decided to use more advanced techniques.
Technology as a Tool
Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), aerial photographs were georeferenced and compared with GPS coordinates. This made it possible to determine more precise locations. A field PC with GPS was used to mark the suspected bunkers, after which an excavator made the first attempts to uncover them.
The First Discovery
On December 12, 2014, the first breakthrough came: at a depth of over three meters, the first bunker was found. Due to collapsing during burial, it lay slightly off the expected location. A second bunker was traced using a sharper RAF aerial photograph from 1944, which revealed four structures and a camouflaged central bunker.
The Engineers Come to the Rescue
On December 15, 2014, the 105 Engineer Company Water Construction of the 101 Engineer Battalion of the Royal Netherlands Army arrived. Using a 250-ton crane, the bunkers were lifted from the ground and transported by low-loader to the Liberation Park. There, they were given a place in the Liberation Park at the Bevrijdingsmuseum.
From Underground to the Liberation Park
Below is a short photo series of the placement of the bunkers in the Liberation Park. The images show how the bunkers were excavated, transported, and ultimately placed in their current location.
