In the first polder of later Flevoland, there were three air watch towers in the 1950s and 1960s. They bore the names 6K1, 6K2 and 6K3, which in practice were called Karel 1 to 3 when reported. The Karel 1 was on Urk, next to the Kerkje aan de Zee, the Karel 2 was in the Emmelerbos in Emmeloord and the Karel 3 was in the Enserbos in Ens.
Most of the air watchtowers were dismantled from the mid-1960s onwards, because with the arrival of fighter jets that could intercept enemy aircraft as well as improved radar technology, the air watchtowers and their crews were no longer needed.
Also, the air watch tower in Emmeloord ...
In the first polder of later Flevoland, there were three air watch towers in the 1950s and 1960s. They bore the names 6K1, 6K2 and 6K3, which in practice were called Karel 1 to 3 when reported. The Karel 1 was on Urk, next to the Kerkje aan de Zee, the Karel 2 was in the Emmelerbos in Emmeloord and the Karel 3 was in the Enserbos in Ens.
Most of the air watchtowers were dismantled from the mid-1960s onwards, because with the arrival of fighter jets that could intercept enemy aircraft as well as improved radar technology, the air watchtowers and their crews were no longer needed.
The air watch tower in Emmeloord also no longer exists. But the foundations, a concrete basin 1.80 metres deep, were left behind. These foundations were later made visible again in the landscape by removing the layer of soil that had covered them. On the initiative of the Cultuurhistorisch Centrum Noordoostpolder and Stichting Canon De Noordoostpolder , an information panel was placed near the foundations. This keeps the memory of the air watchtower alive.
Moreover, a see-through panel was recently installed next to the remains of the air watch tower. On the transparent panel of this vista panel, the former air watch tower is visualised with a drawing. This gives you an even better idea of what it looked like at this spot in the Emmelerbos in the 1950s and 1960s.
Want to read more? This page used research by Sandra van Lochem. You will find much more information on her webstie Luchtwachttorens.nl.
