Introduction crossroad area (3/6)
Introduction crossroad area
Finally, the actual search began! A good adventure combines theoretical background and action. Doing the detective work of research is fun and certainly very necessary for making good finds but the decisive question – does the identified area contain any relics? – can only be solved swinging the coil. No matter how good the story sounds the search can be a complete failure. Therefore I always consider the first find of the desired period a great success – no matter how insignificant the find itself might be.
As said earlier this crossroad was the meeting point for a German unit to march into captivity on May 7, 1945. They were ordered to keep their weapons undamaged but maybe some preferred to get rid of weight. I hoped so.
Crossroads are ideal target areas for the detectorist since they are small. It is seldom that research can provide you with such a precise hint. Often you just read “the antique gold coin was found nearby village X” which is pretty useless. But this hint was a good one.
As can be seen on the picture there are two hills adjacent to the junction. There is also a creek near the junction that cannot be seen on the picture. Following the idea that these hills are excellent strategic positions I climbed the first one. Half an hour of heavy breathing later I reached the top. I walked the rim and within 15 minutes I had found a number of foxholes (soldier’s dugouts)! They can be found quite easily since they have to be where the soldier can see and control the approaching enemy.
Foxhole 1
Foxhole 1
Next come two pictures of the remains of foxholes. They are difficult to picture since after 60 years they are pretty shallow.
Foxhole 2
Foxhole 2
Positioned at the end of a ridge it was the ideal place to control the area below.
That was a promising start! I was obviously at a place with military background. Given the research I was confident that the foxholes originated from WW II and not from a post war manoeuvre. So I started to search the area with my detector.