Hello Skipper,

I'm sure my father will have some questions and comments.

Very interesting post and story. Lovely photograph with caption: "Memorial Service Held in Rebrechien Church for Lancaster Crew 28th July 2004" A Canadian flag prominently displayed.

Do you know if there is anything left of the wreckage of Lancaster A2-C close to St. Cloud?
Do you know any of the families involved in hiding these airmen and moving them to the refuge in Freteval Forest?
I have been recording and posting some of Dad's recollections about this period, so far we have recorded the 2 or 3 days after he was shot down.
http://hila-store.webcentre.ca/ww2/

The audio files are rather large, but I have a brief text outline of each one.

Minutes after he abandoned his parachute, dad approached a group of people standing outside a farm home (apparently awakened by the crash of his plane) announcing "Je suis Canadienne" he was immediately ushered into a home. Within minutes German soldiers arrived and searched the home, they probably knew that someone had survived the crash. Two searches were conducted, but they didn't find him. Dad had a copy of the attack route in his flight jacket, if the Germans had found this map hours before the main group arrived at Stuttgart, this could have been disastrous. While hiding in the barn attached to this house he concealed the map under a wooden box in the barn - wonder if it is still there?

This family clearly risked their lives to hide this young pilot, it would be nice to know who they are.

The next day, Dad was taken to the home of the Arthurs by someone he believes was named Roger or Rogier. At the Arthurs they were very close to an airfield and watched JU88s taking off, possibly aircraft flown by Rokker and Strassner.

Any information you could add about the people and circumstances around the events of July/August 1944 would be appreciated.

E. Wayne Campbell