Reynolds Crew Honored...and Remembered
In March 1996, I received a letter from an historical group in France requesting information concerning relatives of crewmembers of two planes shot down over the villages of Bricquebec and Rocheville during World War Two. The purpose of locating these relatives was to invite them to a dedication ceremony for a memorial constructed in honor of the airmen who gave their lives during the liberation of France from the Germans.
My brother-in-law, Sgt. John B. Reynolds, was a crewman aboard a B17 bomber that was shot down near the village of Rocheville on April 27, 1944. He and the rest of the crew perished in this action, as did all but one crewman of another B 17 that was shot down near Bricquebec on May 8, 1944. Both planes were lost in the area of northern France known as Normandy.
In addition to myself, three other members of the Reynolds' family accepted the invitation to attend the ceremony in June 1997. My son Bob and my brother-in-law Kevin, along with his wife Pat, made the journey. Kevin is a brother of John Reynolds as is my late husband Robert who did not attend due to health problems. We only had to pay for our airfare to France; the French people provided everything else such as a place to stay, our meals, visits to various historical sites in the area, and any other needs we might require. The extent to which the people took care of us was beyond what we expected.
The four of us arrived at Orly airport in Paris by way of New York City and London on June 4. We noticed the high level of security at the European airports, especially Paris, where security guards patrol with machine guns and are very strict. A chauffeur met us at the airport and drove us to Bricquebec, which is a three-hour ride from Paris. The French have mostly small cars but they drive very fast and dart in and out of traffic.
At Bricquebec we were taken to our hosts' homes. Bob and myself were guests of a charming couple, M. & Mme. Georges Lelaidier. Georges is a retired officer in the Gendarmes (police). He and his wife, Jeannine, live in Rocheville approximately 5-10 minutes from Bricquebec. We could not speak French and our hosts could not speak English, so we relied on a dictionary. It was fun trying to make each other understand what we were trying to say. The Laladiers treated us like royalty the entire time we stayed with them. Jeannine was an excellent cook preparing many of our meals from produce she grew in a garden next to the house. Each meal always included wine, cheese, and fresh bread. They were always asking if we needed anything and were glad to help in any way. Georges explained that he felt that it was his obligation to treat us so well because of the sacrifices made by so many Americans who liberated his country from the Germans.
The dedication of the memorial was scheduled for June 6, D-Day, the anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy. We were present for the raising of the monument the next day and met other members of the local historical group as well as the sculptor who designed and built the monument. It is an impressive piece of work, standing 15 feet high, depicting a Bl7 bomber with its left wing and tail section missing as it falls to the earth after being hit. In fact, the plane is an accurate representation of the plane shot down over Rocheville, which our relative, Sgt. Reynolds, was aboard. I learned that my host, Georges, was an eye-witness to the crash as a fifteen year-old boy living in Rocheville. The historical group was very precise in their research of the two incidents and had gathered much information including eye-witness reports, official military documents, and actual pieces of the planes which they exhibited in the town hall in Bricquebec. When the statue was put in place we all toasted the event with several bottles of wine.
The day of the ceremony lasted from morning until late in the evening. The dedication of the memorial included a solemn, formal dedication, a small reception immediately following the ceremony, and a large, traditional Norman feast at a large public building to conclude the festivities. The French are very serious when it comes to this type of event.
People from both villages spent a great deal of time preparing for that day. I also learned that the money used to commission and build the monument had been raised over many years by the local school children. This is another example of the immense appreciation the local people have for the Americans who fought and died for their freedom during the war.
Several hundred people attended the dedication including the mayors of both villages, American and French veterans, a representative from the U.S. embassy in Paris, a band which provided music, a chorus of school children who sang and read poems written for the occasion, and residents of the two villages. Speeches were given by the two mayors and members of the historical group. As I mentioned before, the French are very serious when conducting a ceremony. Although we could not understand much of what they were saying, the tone of their voices, the gestures, and the reaction of the crowd made a deep impression on our experience of that day.
After the many speeches, the dedication and unveiling of the statue took place. My son, Bob, was asked to take part in the ceremony by reading several short poems and hymns in English after they were spoken in French. The school children sang and read poems. They presented me with a beautiful poster covered with doves of peace and gave us all copies of the poems they wrote. Two retired American army officers, who were veterans of the war, unveiled the statue as the band played and hundreds of red, white, and blue balloons were released. We then attended a reception where we met many more people, ate, and drank the locally-made cider. Everyone we met was friendly, kind, and more than happy to meet us.
The festivities concluded with a dinner at a large hall in Bricquebec. Everything was done by the townspeople - setting up the hall, cooking the food, serving, and cleaning up. The meal was excellent. A sheep was cooked outside over a large roasting pit. The food came in several courses and included, as always, cheese, fresh bread, wine, arid cider. Everyone ate, drank, and visited the entire evening until 11 o'clock.
After the ceremony on June 6, we spent the next 5 days traveling to many battlefields and museums. The first on our list was an American cemetery at Omaha Beach where over nine thousand American soldiers are buried. It is a beautiful and peaceful place located along the English Channel. The cemetery is very impressive and the grounds are immaculate. All the headstones are in perfect rows and are made of white marble. We placed long-stemmed roses on the graves of the airmen who were shot down over the two villages. Our Sgt Reynolds' body was not there, as it was returned to the U.S. in 1949 and buried in St. Hubert's cemetery in Star Lake. There were about thirteen airmen buried there whose family wanted them to remain at the cemetery in France.
Over the next few days we traveled to other areas of Normandy. We toured Utah Beach and looked over the remains of the German fortifications built to defend the coastline. One particular part of the beaches we visited was Pointe du Hoc where U.S. Rangers scaled a two hundred foot cliff to capture an important German position. There were so many statues and monuments throughout the entire region. Over the weekend we visited many of them and attended ceremonies commemorating the Americans who fought and died there. Even minor engagements where small groups of American soldiers made last stands or defended an important bridge or road were marked with a plaque or sign. After each ceremony a small reception was held where food and drink were available. We talked with many American veterans who were visiting as part of the D-Day anniversary celebrations. It was good to find people who spoke English.
A popular sight in Normandy is St. Mere Eglise which was the first village liberated during the war by airborne troops dropped at night. The drop did not go well at first and many American soldiers were killed as they parachuted into the town. A large museum is there and contains many vehicles and equipment used by the soldiers. In the museum is a picture of the crew with whom my brother-in-law served. The display case also includes a quilt made by a member of another crewmember's family with their names sewed into it.
We traveled to many of the towns where my husband fought in the many battles of Normandy. He used to talk about the many towns and cities he passed through during his time in France. It gave us a strange feeling to think what a difference 53 years could make, and all the suffering, death, and the many other things people and soldiers had to endure at the hands of the German army.
As I mentioned before, we were treated very well. The historical group surprised us with the opportunity to fly in a small plane down the Normandy coast and over the countryside. We could see many of the places we had previously visited from the air, which looked much different. The area is very rural and looks like a patchwork quilt because of the many fields separated by the famous hedgerows which act as fences to keep cattle from wandering off.
In addition to the military sites, we visited Mont St. Michel, a medieval fortress and abbey dating back to the year 1000. It is a huge place, built on an island a short distance from shore. When the tides come in it is surrounded by the sea, making it difficult to attack. It has a monastery and chapel located at the top which takes quite a while to reach when climbing the narrow passageways. One of the last things we did was take a trip to the large city of Cherbourg where we did some shopping. All the shops form a circle in the middle of the city. You start at one end, go around, and eventually end up where you began. There were few large stores, mostly small shops.
The evening before our return trip home was a memorable one. The people associated with the historical group, the mayors of both towns, our hosts, and other dignitaries treated us with a champagne farewell. We were presented with a replica of the monument and several photos taken during the ceremony and our trips.”
What a wonderful opportunity to be able to meet some of these people who suffered so much during the war under the German occupation. They are very proud people and are so grateful to the Americans who fought so hard and died in the many battles to liberate France. All the monuments and memorials throughout the region of Normandy in memory of these Americans truly honor their great pride in their country and their relationship with the United States of America.
