Lancaster Bomber 514 Squadron

Good morning everybody. Thank you for letting me join in in your discussion. I do have some information about the resistance in the Chateaudun area, which includes files about one "Roger". I have several similar names however. I Will sort it out tonight after work. I will try to find the Arthur's house , I don't know whether it still exists, I figure it would be just east of Saint Cloud and west of the main Chateaudun runway NJG2 also had a second place in july which is not mentionned in most archives. This place is called Moisy (H Rökker confirmed this place and called it Ausweichplatz Moisy)Besides Moisy is right on the route to Freteval. it is a perfect strategic place for landing. I'm glad you liked the article about Rebrechien.
Regarding AC-2 I will try to pinpoint the crashsite with locals and see if people kept relics. The audio files are excellent. The scare water is a very interesting detail. I wonder why. Rebrechien is only 50 miles away and there are wells everywhere. SRV2 crash on one called "the bad well (Mauvais Puits). Maybe there was a draught?

 

Many thanks for joining this discussion, Skipper67. Many of us are watching this thread with great interest - it's one of the most fascinating ever seen here IMHO.

 

it might be of note that Moisy and Chat. were also used by NJG 5 at times as well as single engine jobs of JG 300. Satellite fields or no were often used by NJ's as well as day fighters as aux fileds as the time element was during the Normanide battles not a kind time for any Luftwaffe crew with some units losing more than 50 % manpower and craft. the time of US ground stafing was now in full swing and everything was shot up camo'd or otherwise ...

 

Thanks Martin Bull. Erich it's a pleasure talking to someone who has knowledge about this area and these units. As to the Campbells it's just excellent to talk to you, Had I known you earlier I would have invited you to our commemoration on July 28th 2004. It was great.
By searching closer on the map I believe the Chateaudun field is actually the one we are looking for. I will try to find out about the Arthur family or see if they have members in Veteran associations, or children.Also I have found the story of a "Roger" who was very active in the Freteval area. . No "Robert" at this point but I will keep looking.

 

Skipper,
Your perspective on this story, ie. located in France, is very interesting for us.
Our family has heard about these people - Roger, the Arthurs and others but we know very little about them, your contribution is important.

I assume the house that Dad spent the first night in was close to St. Cloud en Dunois - apparently the wreckage was close by.
Dad is fairly certain that the person who escorted him to the Arthur's and to Freteval was named Roger, and I believe Roger escorted many flyers into the Freteval camp.

Do you often travel through the area that includes Freteval Forest, Chateaudun and St Cloud en Dunois? I have used Google Earth to look at that area, unfortunately it is one of the few areas that has some cloud cover in the image. Is the area still farm land?

Regards, E. Wayne Campbell

 

The area is still farmland, it is quite flat with a few hills here and there. When you get towards Freteval, you get more hills and forest. I will probably drive by Chateaudun and St cloud this Summer. I was in Freteval last month and was amazed by the strategic location of the place: a forest on top of a hill and the Loir River, almost a natural fortress. I will see what I can get about Roger.

 

Mr Campbell,
I have found a picture in a book from 1964 called "La Resistance dans le Loir et Cher" by Lucien Jardel. It mentions a "Robert" in fact this is a nickname . Robert's real name is Lucien Lamarine. I don't know whether he's alive in 2006. I have a picture of him from 1964. He was in his forties on it, so he must have have been about twenty in 1944. He is a very tall, strong guy with fair spiky hair. I don't know whether he is one of the guys we are looking for, but apperently he was the only one in the Freteval area with this nickname.
I also have a request: Do you remember anything about 4 particular Freteval USAAF airmen? They are Jo Peloquin, Richard Lawrence, Bill Kaplan (deceased 1999) and Kenneth Klemmstine (deceased 1999). Information about their stay at Freteval might lead me to Roger.

 

Hello Skipper and others following this thread.

Dad has some letters (1944, 1945) from a Marcel Liger in France. Apperently Marcel was involved in helping dad and others escape. I have posted scans of these letters here, they contain references to the events of July/August 1944:
http://www.hila.webcentre.ca/dad/

Skipper, in attempting to determine who helped dad escape, this may be useful: one of the letters contains this information: "Les amis francais chez qui vous avez couche, Jean, le gros Arthur et Madame Marie vous envoient ....."
This letter is here: http://www.hila.webcentre.ca/dad/freteval_letters/target2.html

I believe in another letter he refers to Arthur as a man of significant size or stature.

E. Wayne Campbell

 

Good Evening,

I was chatting with dad tonight about the letters from Marcel Liger. Apparently he and Marcel exchanged letters and photos during 1944 and 1945, There is a bit of a mystery here, dad doesn't know what connection Marcel actually had to the freedom fighters (I believe they called themselves Maquis) and is not sure what part he played in his rescue.
Skipper, It is possible that Marcel was in fact Roger or one of the other supporters, let us know if you come across a Marcel in your research.

Marcel was apparently familiar with the area around Chateaudun, if I have translated correctly, he states in this letter:
http://www.hila.webcentre.ca/dad/freteval_letters/target6.html
that he took dad's picture back to the crash site (St. Cloud?) and showed it to the community.

If anyone following this thread is capable of translating French to English (and has some time to spare!) translations of the letters would be appreciated.

E. Wayne Campbell

 

I have written to Local Resistant Association in Chateaudun and asked them about the people you mentionned. I also checked the name Arthur (i'm not sure whether it's a last name, a first name or a nickname, but there is nobody with that name in the St Cloud area left). Marcel Liger left to Coubrbevoie (Paris suburbs) after the war , Liger is a very common name , especially in Paris, but his family may have links with Associations. I should go to St Cloud one of these days and ask around. But first let us wait for an answer from the Resistant Association. By the way, by asking for people who helped the A-C2 crew I talked to a man on the phone. He saved a Skipper during the war in july 1944. By comparing my files I found this was W Robinson RCAF. You may not know him, but he flew with Jo Forman RCAF who was also a Freteval evader. They crashed at St Laurent des Bois (South of Chateaudun) on July 25th and must have been saved by at least some of the same men. The former Resistant fighter invited me to his place because he has pictures and names etc.. but he lives near the city of Tours now, so this will probably take at least a month before I have a chance to drive there.

 

here is a translation of your letter(img_4472.jpg):

We would be happy if you could send send us another picture, but this time with your dear Hagel on it.
About two months ago, I went back to the your crash site, I showed your picture to the country people there. They would all love to meet you again because they shall never forget your accident. I believe this must be the case for you. The grave of your crew member is covered with flowers all year long . The cemetery is at St Cloud en Dunois, in Eure et Loir. Are you in touch with his family? Regarding my own family, I am happy to tell you that Jacqueline is doing very well at school. She is 8 now. After returning to school she is the third ranked pupil out of 36 after only one month. She hopes she will do even better. My wife and myself are fine. Are you still an airman or have you returned to College as you intended to do upon your return?

 

Skipper,
Thanks for your continuing contribution to this story. I am quite certain that dad knows Jo Forman. I will be talking to him later today and find out.

I see from your translation that Marcel's daughter Jacqueline was 8 years old in 1945, she is 69 years old now. She probably knows the details of this story.

E. Wayne Campbell

 

I saw a lady who sheltered four airmen near Orleans during WWII. Unfortunately she did not get any RCAF men in her house (they were all USAAF). However I asked her a few questions about the water. She said that there was plenty of water near Chateaudun, but nobody would think about offering "just" water to guests. The farmer mentality assumed that wine would do a man "good" and that water was for the cows.
Regarding Jacqueline, I assume she has a different surname, so I rely on the answer from Veteran Associations to find her.
When I have time I will translate more letters for you.

 

Interesting about the water. Wine was not common in the rural, "Scottish, Protestant" community of Ontario that dad grew up in, being offered wine was certainly different from anything he had experienced to this point.

 

This is the translation of another letter (4468jpg) :

Dear Campbell friend,

As most of France is now free and that postal relations have started again, I hurry to send these lines which I hope will find you in perfect health. When we parted in a small village of France, where I had fortunately and successfully hidden you after your crash, I had promised to write to you. I can still remember when my wife, my little daughter and myself walked along the road to wave you good-bye when you went away with your six fellow soldiers, among them "le plombeur" ( = the shooter). Then you dissapeared accross a field and I later heard that you had arrived safely. At this point, I would be happy to get some news from you

 

Good Morning,

Dad is beside me at the computer, he his here visiting for a few days.

Skipper, regarding the four USAAF men you enquired about.
Dad knew some of them - Jo Peloquin and Richard Lawrence are two names he remembers from that period but not with a lot of detail.
Dad knows Joe Forman, Joe was at the reunion in this image:
http://www.hilaroad.com/RCAF/freteval/freteval_reunion.html
Dad believes that he saw Joe Foreman's plane go down on the night of July 25, he was flying on the same raid.

As I had mentioned before there is some mystery around who Marcel Liger is. Reading your excellent translations of Marcel Liger's letters, dad thinks he was likely the person who first hid him minutes after the crash. We believe Marcel covered dad with sheaves of grain, he spent the first night covered with them. He thinks Marcel also escorted him and his crew member, Ben, to the Arthur's

A few more details about the Arthur's house, it was on a paved road and had a small orchard in front.
While at the Arthur's they witnessed what appeared to be an attack on Chateaudun, the attack was a daylight raid carried out by B25's, the date was approximately July 30/31. A camouflaged truck filled with uniformed soldiers pulled up to the Arthur's during this attack, the soldiers left the truck and took refuge in the orchard.

Regards, The Campbells

 

Erich, you mentioned that "Moisy and Chat. were also used by NJG 5 at times as well as single engine jobs of JG 300." Dad remembers one unnerving incident when they were standing exposed in the field behnd the Arthur's when a trio of ME109's screamed over the farm at tree top level - possibly from JG300. Do you have any information on the attack on Chateaudun mentioned above. Dad remembers counting 12 Mitchell B-25's

 

will have to look. JG 300 in the spring of 44 landed at Chat. from time to time. You are also talking daylight missions over Normandie proper during July of 44 so it could of been anyone....... will check and get back from the database.

a little new if H. Rökker had not mentioned in his letter but his new book is being released this summer. a personal bio, pre-war and his war years. he told me he was working hard a furious last year on it, so now it may include his day by day missions with inclusion (I would hope) the missions over France in summer of 44.

for now

E ~

 

JG's 1, and 5, 51, 77 as examples flying 190's and 109's all over the French countryside.

Besides B-17's claimed at high altitude by IV.Sturm/JG 3, in the Budapest area;

P-47's, Spitfire's were at all altitudes in some hair-raising dog fights. I see no confirms for any B-25's over France this date a total of 9 or so P-47's and some 4 Spit's