Widerstandsnest 19a H

Widerstandsnest 19a H was built on Jan Ayeslag [road]. It was a component of the Vorstrandsperre [restricted beach area] and consisted of anti-tank walls, dummy emplacements, several bomb-proof personnel shelters and a pair of artillery bunkers for enfilade fire. The area was protected in the rear by minefields intended to prevent an enemy advance towards the hinterland in the event of an allied attack.

The anti-tank wall and the bunkers received further protection from a 3.7-cm “Panzerdrehturm mit Kampfwagenkanone und Maschinengewehr” [a tank turret coupled with an automatic weapon]. The gun was mounted on the ground and it was a permanent feature of the complex.

In the early post-war years, these bunkers were a favored backdrop for vacation snapshots of Texelaars and holiday-makers alike. The combination of bunkers and anti-tank walls was considered an authentic Atlantikwall decor. Later, flood protection measures required the demolition and removal of all of the bunkers.