British: Bibge Cottage, Machine Gun Farm

Bibge Cottage, Machine Gun Farm

Located within private ground, the bunker is within the barn of the farm. It is visible from the Norderring road where it joins the Adriaansensweg. This was a busy area with railway sidings and depots and was known to the British as Bibge Cottage or Machine Gun Farm.

Trench map showing the location of Bibge Cottage, Machine Gun Farm sidings and depots

The farm was used as a Casualty Clearing Station however, in 1918 the defences in the area were strengthened following the German spring offensive and the farm became a Brigade Headquarters with a Brigade from the 49th Division allocated the farm as part of the Brielen Defence Line.

Exterior view. Authors image

The work to strengthen the bunker and to make it shell proof was carried out by engineers from the 57th and 456th Field Companies, Royal Engineers with the bunker built inside the existing building. Today, the only visible signs of the bunker from the exterior are the steel beams sticking out from the brick walls.

Steel beams the only visible sign of the bunker.