Like so many mountains in the marl country, the Bosberg, part of the Cannerberg, with the Jeker and the castle of Neercanne at the foot, is a cheese with holes inside. Here, forty meters underground, they have been sawing marl from the mountain since the 16th century. “That exploitation stopped in the 1930s,” begins Jos Notermans, guide for the Het Limburgs Landschap foundation, the owner. “Until 1944, when the German occupier wanted to use the corridor system here, which was 8 kilometers long, to install the V1, the first unmanned jet aircraft.”
‘The bunker’. Here in Maastricht all information came together to control the airspace, especially above Northern Germany. — © Dick Demey
Cold War
However, the Allies arrived faster than expected in 1944. “A V1 has never been assembled here. What remains behind are concrete floors and electrification. This suits NATO, which is then looking for a suitable location for a war headquarters.”
Top secret was the message. — © Dick Demey
After all, it is full Cold War. The Russian is threatening, in an old-fashioned sense. Jos: “We briefly considered using the fort of Eben-Emael, but it is too small. While there is plenty of room here, it is also safely underground and has basic infrastructure. From 1954 this became a training headquarters. After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, NATO expanded this permanently. Until 1992, 250 to 300 American, Dutch, German, British and Belgian soldiers worked here in top secret conditions. And during exercises up to a thousand soldiers. Everything must be provided for: sanitary facilities, kitchens, heating, medical rooms, offices, dormitories and the Bosberg can be closed off.”
Office spaces were built into the corridor system like brick boxes. — © Dick Demey
The bunker
It is cool here, permanently 12 degrees. After a concrete tunnel and thick steel lock gates, the marl gradually takes over. The hallways quickly become a maze. “Here we are in the heart,” Jos stops in a larger room. In the jargon the bunker, the most secure place. “Here they monitored all radar data. Here they were in contact with all the above-ground commands, often with triple connections Allied Forces Central. This guarded the airspace above the North German plain, where the Russians were expected. Look, on one side, soldiers wrote the latest information in chalk on the big board, on the other side in those cabins, officers made the decisions.”
Belgian franc
Many Belgians work here, just a stone’s throw from the border. They must all sign a confidentiality clause. “Food and beer also often come from Belgium. It must have been one of the few places in the Netherlands where people paid in Belgian francs.” Witness to this, two canteens. Ah yes, no military quarters without a canteen.
No military quarters without a canteen. The beer was Belgian by the way and payment was made in Belgian francs. — © Dick Demey
Until 1992. The Berlin Wall has fallen, although there is still another reason to leave the Bosberg. “Asbestos,” Jos nods. “They removed tons of asbestos from here after years of thorough remediation. The procedure is now underway to recognize this as a National Monument of the Cold War.”
In the meantime, Het Limburgs Landschap is gradually allowing visitors. Normally one weekend a month, often fully booked well in advance. But on April 21 and 22, the number of guided visits increased significantly. After all, NATO has existed for 75 years. If you are interested, I would register quickly.
Information and ticket reservations can be made via www.limburgs-landen.nl/kalender. Reserving a time slot is mandatory. A guided tour costs 7.50 euros.
Tags: Visit underground war headquarters Riemst
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