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.

Ardennes, spring 1945. Section of the 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion.

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.

German POW  searching for mines under the supervision of Belgian soldiers from the 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion.

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".

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.
Killed in action while disarming a mine on August 24 1945.

 

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.

 

Formation Badge 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion

 

Formation Badge 1st Bomb Disposal Battalion.
Variant with yellow border.

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
Printed version

 

 
Formation Badge 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion
Embroidered version

 

  Formation Badge 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion
Embroidered version

 

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.
Large and smaller version.

Variants

 

Belgian Coast, Summer 1945. Officers from the 2nd Bomb Disposal Battalion.
The one on the right is wearing the Bomb Disposal Qualification Badge.

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.

 

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.

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