Ammunition storage

For the soldiers who worked in or around ammunition storage during the liberation of the Netherlands, the presence of tons of explosives was a constant background threat that permeated their daily work with a tension that never fully disappeared. A direct hit from a mortar shell or an artillery projectile on an ammunition depot meant not only the loss of precious supplies but a catastrophic explosion that could destroy everything and everyone in the vicinity. That knowledge stayed in the mind of every man who loaded, stacked, and transported boxes of shells.
The soldiers working in ammunition logistics were not combat troops, but they operated in conditions that were almost as dangerous. Ammunition depots were established as close to the front line as possible to minimize supply times, which meant they were regularly within range of enemy artillery fire. The choice of location was a constant trade-off: too far from the front meant longer supply routes and delays in replenishment; too close to the front meant exposure to the danger of shelling.
During the fighting in the Netherlands, Allied ammunition logisticians chose existing buildings as temporary storage locations. Farms, barns, churches, and factories were requisitioned and converted into ammunition depots; their thick walls offered some protection against shrapnel, and their scattered placement across the landscape made it more difficult for the Germans to eliminate all depots at once. Villagers living near a requisitioned building stacked full of ammunition lived with the knowledge that a single hit could destroy their home and perhaps their lives.
Following a successful battle, the abandoned ammunition depots of the retreating Germans had to be secured before they fell into the hands of unauthorized persons. Abandoned ammunition, sometimes in large quantities, was dangerous and attractive at the same time: dangerous because it could be unstable after years of storage, and attractive because it represented valuable raw materials in a country that lacked everything. The securing and clearing of abandoned ammunition was a task that continued for years after the liberation and remains relevant to this day when old ammunition is occasionally found during construction work.