Rom Flyveplads

During World War II, the Germans built an airfield for fighter planes with hangars, a hospital and a series of bunkers on the heath plain just south of Lemvig.

After the war, the airfield was used as a refugee camp for up to 9,000 refugees from East Prussia. The site contains part of the Geopark's history of World War II.

History of the airport

A few days after the occupation of Denmark in April 1940, the Germans informed the local Danish authorities that an airfield was to be built on an area of approximately 600 hectares south of the church in Rome. Work began that same year with heavy construction equipment brought from Germany and took shape in 1941. There were 2 huge grass runways, lots of concrete runways, depots, a shooting range, barracks, garages, 24 camouflaged field hangars hidden behind high earth embankments, ammunition and petrol depots, anti-aircraft guns, etc. The 43 concrete bunkers were first built in the years 1943-44. The airfield only functioned as a reserve airfield, as in 1942 the somewhat larger airfield at Grove was built, - today known as Karup airfield. It is believed that up to 250 men from the German Luftwaffe were stationed at the airfield in Rome itself. In the period 1943-45, the airfield was mainly used as a reserve and intermediate landing site.

The airfield normally had a 24-hour standby of three aircraft. Occasionally, several Messerschmitt fighters of the Bf-109 single-engine and Bf-110 twin-engine types were stationed for shorter periods. In addition, there were several reconnaissance aircraft of the Fieseler Storch type. In February 1942, over 30 twin-engine Bf-110 Messerschmitts were stationed in Rome. Under the command of Jagdfliger-Abschnittsführer for Skagerrak Wolfgang Falck, the fighters provided the pocket battleship Admiral von Scheer and the cruiser Prinz Eugen with aerial reconnaissance and protection from the airfield in Rome, when the two armored ships were en route from Wilhelmshaven to Norway. After the end of the war, the area was used as a refugee camp divided into two areas: Rome I. covered an area of approximately 50 ha and Rome II. an area of approximately 22 ha. In the summer of 1946, there were almost 9,000 refugees in the two Rome camps, mostly women, children and old men, mainly from the former East Prussia. In comparison, there were approximately 4,000 inhabitants in the town of Lemvig.

Dissemination

Runways, machine gun and crew bunkers, etc. can still be seen in the area. A few hundred meters west of the airfield is the hospital bunker. It was built in 1943-44 and was the largest with a total of 21 rooms spread over 2 floors. The hospital was only intended to be used in connection with actual combat operations and has therefore never been in operation. Today, lights have been installed and signs have been put up about the airfield area during and immediately after the war.

Rome Airfield and Geopark West Jutland

Runways, machine gun and crew bunkers, etc. can still be seen in the area. A few hundred meters west of the airfield is the hospital bunker. It was built in 1943-44 and was the largest with a total of 21 rooms spread over 2 floors. The hospital was only intended to be used in connection with actual combat operations and has therefore never been in operation. Today, lights have been installed and signs have been put up about the airfield area during and immediately after the war.