Venlo WWII Airfield

snakebasket

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I'm planning on going here next moth on the way into Germany. Just wondered if anybody had explored this airfield and its history. I've seen a few vids on Youtube and there is info on the web but anybody been there? Planning an overnight camping stop and going to the airfeild in the morning.


https://www.forgottenairfields.com/airfield-venlo-478.html

Airfield Venlo (Dutch: vliegveld Venlo, German: Fliegerhorst Venlo) was situated just east of Venlo in Limburg, the Netherlands.

51°22'07"N 006°12'44"E

After the war the Dutch side of the air base was cleared, leaving only the control tower and one damaged hangar. The runway pavement and most of the roads were removed, their bricks being used to repair damaged property in Venlo. On the German side the airbase eventually became part of a complex of the Bundeswehr.
Parallel to the short east-west runway is now a gliderfield. Its resident glider club converted the damaged hangar into a new one, where they keep their aircraft. Most of the terrain is freely accessible, and much of the old infrastructure and bomb craters can still be seen.
 
I'm planning on going here next moth on the way into Germany. Just wondered if anybody had explored this airfield and its history. I've seen a few vids on Youtube and there is info on the web but anybody been there? Planning an overnight camping stop and going to the airfeild in the morning.


https://www.forgottenairfields.com/airfield-venlo-478.html

Airfield Venlo (Dutch: vliegveld Venlo, German: Fliegerhorst Venlo) was situated just east of Venlo in Limburg, the Netherlands.

51°22'07"N 006°12'44"E

After the war the Dutch side of the air base was cleared, leaving only the control tower and one damaged hangar. The runway pavement and most of the roads were removed, their bricks being used to repair damaged property in Venlo. On the German side the airbase eventually became part of a complex of the Bundeswehr.
Parallel to the short east-west runway is now a gliderfield. Its resident glider club converted the damaged hangar into a new one, where they keep their aircraft. Most of the terrain is freely accessible, and much of the old infrastructure and bomb craters can still be seen.

if your going there then have a look at the military museum at Overloon its the biggest in Europe https://www.oorlogsmuseum.nl/en/ only 20 minutes north off Venlo
 
Thanks to the guys who helped me with my trip; it worked out well.

Venlo, I found the military buildings and the Cafe Backus. No memorial or plaque at Backus, which is now a deli.

http://ratbagp.blogspot.com/2013/06/venlo-cafe-backus.html

I went to Mohne dam; quite amazing to see the structure and how difficult that mission must have been.

Stayed at Buren and went to Wewelsburg castle, great place to visit with a mysterious WWII past

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/wo...castle-the-nazi-temple-of-doom.html?firefox=1

I met with some friends at the Spa 24 hour endurance round before heading to Brussels to the Armed Forces and Car Museums; which were okay apart from the aviation hall being closed (my main interest!!).

It was good to get back out touring after being locked up during Covid years.
 

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Fascinating story, thanks guys.

My wife lived nearby for a while in the '60s, when her father was serving with 2-ATAF near Monchengladbach. Venlo was a regular shopping trip - British passport holders sailed through, but the Germans often suffered the ignominy of having their cars searched for contraband at the border, when retuning to the fatherland, such was the price disparity for certain essentials.
 
My former Boss in Holland was raised around Venlo and used to tell me that when German tourists asked for directions, the standard response was “first, give me back my grandfather’s bicycle”
 
Been to Venlo many times while stationed at RAF Bruggen, but never knew that there was an airfield there. Been to all the other sites all over Germany as a child and while stationed at RAF Gutersloh. The Mohne dam was a favourite camping place. I remember going there as a kid when you could see the newer bricks in the centre section.
 


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