Passive Air Defence Antwerp

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Fotoalbum van Theodoor Goemans (1905-1961) Passieve Luchtbescherming Antwerpen 1940-1945 Tijdens WO2 was Theodoor Goemans, zowel tijdens als na de bezetting, adjudant in de Antwerpse PLB.

1 Fotoalbum van Theodoor Goemans ( ) Passieve Luchtbescherming Antwerpen Tijdens WO2 was Theodoor Goemans, zowel tijdens als na de bezetting, adjudant in de Antwerpse PLB. Als geen ander maakte hij de transformatie mee die de organisatie moest ondergaan wanneer ze vanaf oktober 1944 geconfronteerd werd met een bombardement van V-wapens dat 6 maanden zou duren. Het door hem zelf samengestelde en gedecoreerde fotoalbum geeft een overzicht van de mensen en het materiaal waarmee Antwerpen en haar haven draaiende kon gehouden worden. Vooral dit laatste was cruciaal voor de Geallieerde legers en voor zijn bijdrage hieraan ontving Majoor Goemans na WO2 de Britse Medaille van de Koning voor Verdienste in het Belang van de Vrijheid. In 2017 werd zijn archief door achternicht Angele Vanhavermaet, dankzij historicus Jean Dillen, voorgesteld aan de vzw achter het Antwerps Bunkermuseum waar het opgenomen werd in de V-wapen collectie. In het museum en op diens website dragen zijn objecten en documenten op unieke wijze bij aan haar primaire doelstelling: Opdat wij niet vergeten. Photo album by Theodoor Goemans ( ) Passive Air Defence Antwerp During WW2, both during and after the occupation, Theodoor Goemans served as adjudant in the Antwerp PAD. Like no other he witnessed the transformation which the organization went through when from October 1944 it had to face the bombing with V-weapons which would last 6 months. The photo album he composed and decorated himself gives an overview of the people and equipment which kept Antwerp and her port going. The latter was especially important for the Allied armies and for his contribution in achieving this goal Major Goemans was later decorated with the British King s Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom. In 2017 his grandniece, thanks to historian Jean Dillen, presented his archive to the NPO behind the Antwerp Bunker Museum where it was welcomed into the V-weapons collection. In the museum and on its website the objects and documents contribute in their unique way to its primary goal: Lest we forget. Vzw Bunker & Vliegtuig Archeo Antwerpen. Olivier Vilain, International V2 Research Group member.

2 Passive Air Defence. Antwerp

3 The P.A.D. has served meritorious for country and people.

4 Lt Colonel E. VAN CAPPELLEN, Regional Commissioner of the P.A.D. Headquarters P.A.D. Maarschalk Gerard street, 18.

5 Administration - Medical service - Salvage troops

6 PLB Command

8 Administrative staff during the occupation.

9 Displayed at Groenplaats

10 Displayed Groenplaats V1 under Anti-Aircraft fire.

11 Class room for "First Aid" and salvage operations. Sitting room in P.A.D. post, Albert Grisarstreet.

12 Control room: view of the boards with available and dispatched aid. Control room: View of the map on which the impacts were traced with graduated scales.

13 Observation post Boerentoren. Two similar posts existed in Berchem, Koninklijkelaan and in Merksem, Eugen Meeus street. These 3 posts, manned day and night, signalled the impacts to the control post.

14 Maarschalk Gerard straat. Training center: Class room with tactical table where Incident-officers and Personnel were trained. Tactical table on which bomb impacts were improvised.

15 Telephone room: Equipped with 6 regular lines, 3 devices connected directly with the observation posts, 1 direct line to P.A.D. and one line to backup Control post. Sitting room for the personnel of the Control post.

16 Truck with mobile Control Post used by Incident-Officers. The Control vehicle is equipped with a speaker to direct and inform at the incident location. Interior view of the mobile Control vehicle.

17 Interior view of the telephone cell in the mobile Control vehicle. Control vehicle. Interior view. Equipped with direction signs, control flags, information boards, speaker and emergency lighting.

18 Vehicle for first aid, equipped with shovels, picks, stretcher, debris basket, lever, small tools, manned by 10 men. Interior view.

19 Heavy salvage. This group mainly performed rescue operations in case of heavy constructions, concrete works, tunneling, saving victims from higher floors, etc...

20 Lighting Group. Special groups of electricians formed mobile lighting groups which in case of bomb impacts during darkness, were immediately deployed to make the rescue operations possible.

21 Vehicle with Porta-ladder for additional assistance, also manned by a 10 man crew. Interior view on tools.

22 Heavy salvage. General view of the vehicle. Vehicle equipped with compressor, winch, hoists, crowbar, etc...

23 Interior view: generators and battery lamps. The lighting group.

24 Medical service. Underground aid post Museum, operating room. Mobile aid post, which could be set up by the medical service immediately at an incident.

25 Built-in kitchen, Albert Grisar street. Kitchen in open air, Albert Grisar street. Cantine, Maarschalk Gerard street.

26 P.A.D. Practical exercise at old incident.

28 P.A.D. practical exercise.

29 P.A.D. parade,

30 Homage to the Air Protection services,

32 P.A.D. parade,

34 Celebration of the Air Protection services. P.L.B. stand in the military exhibition "Since 1939" Grand Bazar Groenplaats - June 1945.

35 Belgian P.A.D. Delegation to the training course in the "C.D. COLLEGE Cobham" Februari '45.

40 INCIDENTS

Een deel van de foto s in dit album zijn individueel en digitaal beschikbaar op de website van het Stadsarchief van Antwerpen onder het archivarisnummer 1448#17 (Archief E.

42 Een deel van de foto s in dit album zijn individueel en digitaal beschikbaar op de website van het Stadsarchief van Antwerpen onder het archivarisnummer 1448#17 (Archief E. Van Cappellen). A number of the images in this album are individually and digitally available on the website of the Antwerp City Archives under the archive number 1448#17 (Archive E. Van Cappellen).

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