THE BELGIAN BOMB DISPOSAL UNITS
1944 - 1946
SHORT HISTORY
One of the
major problems after the Liberation of Belgium in September 1944
was the dismantling of all the mines left behind by the Germans.
The Belgian Coast in September 1944. The blackened areas are the mined areas. |
Four missions were put forward as essential for the Allied Military and for the revival of the Belgian economy.
1* Clearing
of the Lines of Communication vital for the Allies.
2* Clearing of urban areas.
3* Clearing of the agricultural areas.
4* Clearing of the woods, and making those woods accessible for
the Forestry units.
April 1945, The Belgian Coast near Knokke. |
Thus a Bomb Disposal Service was created on September 15 1944.
Each Province (9) received a section, with exception for the Belgian Coast where two sections were formed.
A few months later it was obvious that the Bomb Disposal Sections were too small for the job.
The
Minister of Defence then decided to raise two bomb disposal battalions,
one for the Belgian Coast and one for the Ardennes forests.
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Ardennes, spring 1945. Section of the 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion. |
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Two NCO's of the 1st Bomb Disposal battalion with their "loot". |
On April 15 1945, after a rather short training period, both battalions started to work.
Together with the ten Bomb Disposal Service
sections, the Belgian Army had 2.300
men in action
for clearing the Belgian soil
of mines and other explosives left behind by all fighting parties.
In August 1945 two German POW battalions were put under the command of the Bomb Disposal Service.
They helped both bomb disposal battalions in their missions.
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German POW searching for mines under the supervision of Belgian soldiers from the 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion. |
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Lieutenant 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion searching for mines. |
At the end of September 1945 the Ardennes were decleared "free of mines".
In December
1945 the 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion was disbanded and most of
the men were assigned
to the 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion, who's name was changed into
"The Bomb Disposal Battalion".
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Destroying explosives at the Belgian Coast. | Destroying explosives in the Ardennes. |
June 1946 saw the disbandment of The Bomb Disposal Battalion, the formal 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion.
From now on only the Provincial Bomb Disposal Sections remained and formed the Bomb Disposal Service.
From
September 1944 until June 1946 the Bomb Disposal Units cleared 21.000
tons of destructive objects,
2.800 houses,
10.000 hectares of agricultural land, and they disarmed 465.000
mines
and 200.000 bombs of several calibres.
The list of
casualties was considerable.
5 officers, 16 NCO's, 20 Corporals and 31 men were killed while
disarming mines.
171 men, all ranks, were severely injured.
Death Card from Corporal RASALLE Henri, 2nd
Bomb Disposal Battalion. |
UNIT | RAISED | PLACE | DISBANDED | AREA OF OPERATIONS | COMMANDING OFFICER |
Bomb Disposal Service | September 15 1944 | Brussels | - |
Belgium | Colonel SEVRIN |
1st Bomb Disposal Battalion | March 1 1945 | Alsemberg | December 31 1945 | The Ardennes | Major PLACET |
2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion | March 1 1945 | Brugge | June 15 1946 | The Belgian Coast | Major SAMIJN |
Commander of the Bomb Disposal Units Major General SEVRIN. |
FORMATION BADGES
1ST BOMB DISPOSAL BATTALION
The head of a black wild boar on a scarlet circle.
The wild boar is the most feared animal of the Ardennes forests.
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Formation Badge 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion |
Formation
Badge 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion. |
2ND BOMB DISPOSAL BATTALION
A green dolphin on a yellow shield with blue border.
The dolphin was seen as the symbol of the coastal operations.
Formation Badge 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion
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Formation Badge 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion Embroidered version
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Formation Badge 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion Embroidered version
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Chaplain of the 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion wearing the Formation Badge |
Commemorative postcard 1946. |
OTHER BADGES AND INSIGNIA
BOMB DISPOSAL QUALIFICATION BADGE
This was the technical qualification badge worn on the left lower sleeve.
A black-yellow-red bomb on a scarlet oval.
This was the same qualification badge as worn by the British units.
Bomb
Disposal Qualification Badge. |
Variants
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Belgian
Coast, Summer 1945. Officers from the 2nd Bomb Disposal
Battalion. |
BREAST POCKET BADGE
Those are numeral personel breast pocket badges from one of the provincial sections
of the
Bomb Disposal Service but is is not known from which section.
A red coloured exploding mine.
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Bomb Disposal Service Provincial Section Breast Pocket Badge |
Bomb Disposal Service Provincial Section Breast Pocket Badge |
DIVER QUALIFICATION BADGE
This qualification badge was also worn on the left lower sleeve.
A red diver's helmet on a khaki background.
Diver Qualification Badge. |
Diver wearing his heavy suit. |
NCO HEAD OF DETACHMENT.
When no
officer was present at a site, and an NCO was head of the
detachment,
he wore a white armband with the Bomb Disposal
Qualification Badge.
NCO Head of Detachment armband. |
OTHER INSIGNIA
The Bomb Disposal Units were considered to be Engineer units.
Therefore they wore the Roman helmets on both shoulder straps.
The Roman helmet was the symbol of the Belgian Engineer units.
A white embroidered version and a metal version were both worn.
Embroidered version. |
Metal version. |
Belgian Rank Insignia were worn.
On the left upper sleeve a white embroidered "BELGIUM" arm title was worn.
On the right upper sleeve the Belgian National Colours were worn.
White embroidered "BELGIUM" Arm Title. |
Belgian National Colours. |
The blue and red flash, red facing front, was worn on both arms.