The air watch tower post 8H3 in Groesbeek
is a military structure from the Cold War and is located on the Zevenheuvelenweg. It was built in 1953-1954 as part of the national network of the Air Watch Corps (KLD). The task of these towers was to observe low-flying enemy aircraft, which might come from the east. Volunteer observers passed on their observations by telephone to air watch centers, in this case those in Eindhoven.
The tower is a honeycomb tower and is constructed from concrete prefabricated elements in a hexagonal structure and is 11.64 meters high.
Later, the KLD or the fire brigade raised this tower with a ± 5 meter high wooden structure, here is a platform of 3 by 3 meters with a parapet of 1.5 meters.
Presumably to be able to look above the tree line. A shelter has been built on the west side of the platform.
The tower was built in 1953-54 and was used by the Air Surveillance Corps until 1964. After the KLD was disbanded in 1964, the tower was used as a fire watchtower. In the 1990s, it was given a new function for mobile telephony, and today there is a transmission mast of Omroep Groesbeek on it.
The tower is owned by the municipality of Groesbeek and has been designated as a municipal monument. It is not open to the public.
The tower shows defects: some concrete elements have been affected by so-called concrete rot; the wooden stairs are in poor condition and partly missing.
But it is still visible from the road.
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