The Citadel in Namur Belgium sits on the confluence of two large rivers, The Meuse and the Sabre. The Citadel is a huge stone fort that has overlooked those two rivers for centuries. In February of 1945, the tunnels under the Citadel were used by the 75th Infantry as a command post. Napoleon nicknamed the Citadel Europe’s remote mound due to the extensive network of underground tunnels.
The importance of the Citadel diminished when 9 forts were built around the city of Namur Belgium. When the Germans attacked in 1940 the forts fell after 3 days of fighting. Namur was liberated by Allied forces on September 6, 1944. Namur is near where intense fighting incurred at the Battle of the Bulge in Decemeber of 1944. Although the city itself was not the center of the conflict. Perhaps that is why it was once again used an a command post as troops headed north to form a defensive line along the Meuse River up in the Netherlands.
It is possible the 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have reported here before joining troops up in the Netherlands. Since 80 years have passed since February of 1945, I decided to sketch anything that might have been around at the time. This tree with it’s age old roots growing over stone work would have certainly been alive and growing at the time.