Situated around 7km east of Calais this pre-war French airfield is surrounded by seven satellite bunker sites with many standing near to aircraft dispersal locations.
Many of the buildings which can still be found are simple personnel shelters but there are also concrete and brick constructions for defensive machine guns, anti-aircraft posts, and storage.
The Calais-Marck airfield – which is still and active airport – was constructed as a grass runway site in 1937 and operated under the French air force until the occupation of the area by German forces in May 1940.
Under Luftwaffe control, a 700m long concrete runway with several dispersal sites, fuel and ammunition storage areas, aircraft shelters, and defensive positions while nearby farm buildings in the village of Marck were commandeered for offices, a HQ, and aircrew quarters.
Calais-Marck – or Stp Bruck as it was also known – played an active role in the Battle of Britain but was largely inactive as a Luftwaffe airfield by the end of March 1941 following repeated bombing raids by Allied aircraft which continued into 1943. The site was abandoned completely in early 1944.
Although the airfield remains active today, you can still visit several of the sites with permission from local famers who manage the land around the airfield, but some are heavily overgrown and, in some cases, dangerous to visitors. Obviously, do not stray on to the airfield itself.
Inside one of the dispersal site personnel shelters you can see some original artwork on the walls in the form of a large German eagle, swastika, and the slogan ‘Die Treue is das Mark der Ehre’ which translates to ‘Loyalty is the mark of honour’. This artwork is in remarkable condition for its age.