Fort Dailly (VD) comes back to life. The CIPAD association (Community of Interest for the Artillery of Dailly) presented the results of its work on Saturday, intended to introduce the public to the largest underground military fortress in Switzerland.
On the heights of the village of Morcles, a similar work might already be the subject of summary visits. The CIPAD has however undertaken to make the fort, which has not been used by the army since 1994, a real museum center, explains its president Pascal Bruchez, contacted by Keystone-ATS.
The work started last October and regarding thirty volunteers took part. In addition to the establishment of a museographic concept, it was necessary to clean the premises, carry out major refreshment work or even review the electrical installations.
Pascal Bruchez underlines that this work required “a high investment”, without giving the amount. A hundred donors have enabled the CIPAD to carry out its project.
1946 explosion
On the nearly 20 km of the fort, it is now possible to visit 1.8 km of galleries as well as the external works. Visits are made with a guide and by reservation for groups of at least ten people.
During the visit, it is notably possible to discover the cantonment, which was not open to the public until now. Films, archives and various devices are presented during the tour. It also stops in front of one of the two gun turrets 15 cm in diameter, unique in Switzerland. Its 46 kg shells might hit targets between Sion and Orsières (VS), explains Pascal Bruchez.
A room is also devoted to the tragedy of 1946, when an explosion in ammunition stores had extensively damaged and bereaved the fortress, causing the death of ten civilian workers.
“Lock” of the national redoubt
Built in 1892, Dailly is part of the complex of fortifications of St-Maurice with Cindey and Scex (VS). It forms the western “lock” of the Alpine national redoubt, from where the army might monitor the entire Rhône plain. “It is a remarkable site in Swiss military history”, recalls Pascal Bruchez.
The colonel indicates that the Federal Department of Defense has an obligation to “preserve” this fortress, but that it is not its mission to make it “visitable”. This is where the CIPAD comes in: “We want this military structure to become a permanent heritage structure”, he underlines.
Pascal Bruchez specifies that the work that has been undertaken makes it possible to retrace the history of the fort from 1942 to the present day. The CIPAD hopes, one day, to be able to develop a visit to return to the entire history of the site.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats
