SMG65 Posted 30 March , 2016 Share Posted 30 March , 2016 After two days in Ypres I am now visiting friends near Antwerp. Today they took me to the Mastenbos which consists of two lines of German trench systems and 56 untouched German pillboxes, most accessible. Excavated last year it was built in 1917 as part of the German defensive positions of Antwerp, they also reused it in 1944. I´ll post some pictures when I get home but if you google Mastenbos it should bring it up, albeit in Flemish but with some good pictures. I also visited a reconstruction of the ´dodenzone`, (deadzone), which was the border between Belgium and Holland with the 5 yards between the border wire being the deadzone. The reconstruction is built on the actual site of the border, however it is 4 miles from the Dutch border in Belgium, near Kalmthout? Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 March , 2016 Share Posted 31 March , 2016 After two days in Ypres I am now visiting friends near Antwerp. Today they took me to the Mastenbos which consists of two lines of German trench systems and 56 untouched German pillboxes, most accessible. Excavated last year it was built in 1917 as part of the German defensive positions of Antwerp, they also reused it in 1944. I´ll post some pictures when I get home but if you google Mastenbos it should bring it up, albeit in Flemish but with some good pictures. I also visited a reconstruction of the ´dodenzone`, (deadzone), which was the border between Belgium and Holland with the 5 yards between the border wire being the deadzone. The reconstruction is built on the actual site of the border, however it is 4 miles from the Dutch border in Belgium, near Kalmthout? Sean Hello, A few years ago, a two volume book was published about these trenches and bunkers: Vergeten Linies. The "dodendraad" as the electric fence on the Belgian-Dutch border was called, was not built right on the border, it was always built completely on Belgian territory and some parts of Belgium were in no man's land, f.i. the three "humps" in the province of Antwerp... Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 31 March , 2016 Share Posted 31 March , 2016 it was always built completely on Belgian territory and some parts of Belgium were in no man's land In that case the Dutch probably let the Belgians pay for the entire fence... Roel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 31 March , 2016 Share Posted 31 March , 2016 In that case the Dutch probably let the Belgians pay for the entire fence... Roel Huh? The "dodendraad" was built by the Germans to prevent Belgians getting out of the country, the Dutch had nothing to do with it. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 31 March , 2016 Share Posted 31 March , 2016 Unbelievable. Next time I'll think before I post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 1 April , 2016 Share Posted 1 April , 2016 In that case the Dutch probably let the Belgians pay for the entire fence... Huh? The "dodendraad" was built by the Germans to prevent Belgians getting out of the country, the Dutch had nothing to do with Unbelievable. Next time I'll think before I post... Hah, Roel, I guess you were - ahem - 'Trumped' there... Actually, if I recall correctly, there is something in Andy Lucas' book on the Saxons about German casualties caused from - I assume - deserters trying to cross the fence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMG65 Posted 2 April , 2016 Author Share Posted 2 April , 2016 I think that this is worth a diversion for tour companies en route to/coming back from Arnhem. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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