Bunker CTF 1 Grivegnée

This is bunker CTF 1.

The bunker is located on the premises of old barracks called 'La Chartreuse' in the city of Liège. La Chartreuse was built in 1817. The barracks were left by the Belgian army in the late 80's. Ever since then the barracks and terrain are unmaintained and gives the visitor a desolate look at the premises.

CTF stands for 'Centraux téléphoniques' which can be translated as a bunker for telephone exchange. The bunker was not intended as a bunker in de line of defense or shelter. Within the PFL area there were 34 CTF-bunkers. They provided communication between the forts, bunkers.and secret underground telephonebooths T. and C5.

When walking on the premesis one gets a 'unheimlich' feeling. Everywhere is graffiti and buildings and surroundings are left tot their faith. The buildings were stript of anything of value (iron etc.).

This CTF was build in around the 30's. The open sqaure on the left side could be used to 'launch' handgrenades for imediate defence when the battle reached the bunker. The barracks were used by the Germans and Americans during worldwar two.

From the allmost 200 secret underground telephonebooths the soldiers were able to contact a CTF by plugging in a field telephone. In this way they were able to comunicate with the forts and give vital information about troopmovements ore firepositions to the officers in command of the artillery.

Telephone lines were burried as deep as 2 meters in between bunkers and the forts. Outside the forts the lines were burried even as deep as 6 meters. Out of precaution for the expected shelling of the forts with heavy artillary. At this depht the lines would be less vurnerable for the shells.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski