Verteitigungsunterkunft 174 Tillburg - Fundament Baracke mit Zisterne

Starting on 10 July 1940, an enormous flat terrain of over 200 acres northwest of Audembert was reconnoitred by the Luftwaffe and considered interesting for the establishment of an airfield. It was assigned number 233.

On 15 July 1940 the Stab and the I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 arrived at Audembert. Two other Gruppen touched down at Marquise (II Gruppe) and Caffiers (III Gruppe) on 21 July. Jagdgeschwader 26 would take place in every major phase of the Battle of Britain.

At Audembert the fields were requisitioned, drained and levelled, allowing the Messerschmitt 109 aircraft to take off and land safely. The aircraft themselves were hidden underneath trees, between bales of straw and under camouflage nets. The farms in the area were occupied by troops and numerous wooden buildings were erected near them. Thus, one Staffel each was based at the Le Breuil and the Le Colombier farms. At the Warcove farm there were also large hangars where the aircraft could be serviced and repaired. Flak positions were erected near the les Grares farm and between Warcove and Audembert, while the Geschwaderstab stayed at the Le Colombier farm.

In November 1940 the terrain was found to be no longer suitable for air operations, due to the ever more common rain and wind of late autumn / early winter. On 10 November the withdrawal of aircraft towards Abbeville was started.

In June 1941, however, Jagdgeschwader 26 returned to Audembert, albeit only with its Stab. The Gruppen were stationed at Clairmarais (I Gruppe) , Maldegem (II Gruppe) and Ligescourt (III Gruppe). In 1941 the airfield infrastructure was significantly improved with concrete boxes for the aircraft, concrete taxiways and improved hangars.

An important change occured in the spring of 1942, when the Messerschmitts were replaced by Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft. Also an important Luftwaffe communications centre was based at the Le Colombier farm. This Flugmeldezentrale was, in fact, the headquarters of the 22. Flugmeldemesskompanie/Luftgaunachrichtenregiment Belgien-Nordfrankreich.
In order to protect this centre, several Vf3 MG bunkers were constructed near the Colombier farm, as well as a network of trenches.

In June 1942 the Jagdgeschwader 26 left Audembert for St-Omer.

On 25 March 1943 the strongpoint, then coded, Stützpunkt 179 "Tillburg", still had two Luftwaffe units present. There was the 22. Flugmeldemesskompanie/Luftgaunachrichtenregiment Belgien-Nordfrankreich. This was a fairly large unit, in charge of all the Luftwaffe radar stations between Calais and the Somme estuary.

In April 1943, its name was changed to 10. Kompanie/Luftnachrichtenregiment 52. A small defensive force was also located here: the Landesschützenzug 284/VI, associated with the Fliegerhorstkommandantur Marquise.

In 1944 the strongpoint near the Le Colombier farm was recoded Verteidigungsunterkunft 147 "Tillburg".

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Source

• Text: The German 15th Army at the Atlantikwall & Bertrand Nollet
• Photos: Bertrand Nollet