The aircraft shot down by H. Rökker is lancaster SRV2 from 101 squadron. if the link doesn't work type the word "Rebrechien" on your search engine, you should get the BBC site with the article. I am still working on the Raf losses but I have pinpointed most losses in France for that evening , although I am not positive for the claims for several crash sites.

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I got the new link. I tried it out and it worked. I hope I got it right this time:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/u.../u721287.shtml

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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

Guten Abend all !

I./NJG 2 was based at Chateaudun till August 8th, the following day the move to Dijon with their Ju 88G-1's

E ~

You are right Erich and also welcome to Skipper 67.
Thanks for confirming the events of midnight on July
28/44. I will be watching intently for any more details you may have to offer. Skipper of Lancaaster
"C" Charlie. E A Campbell

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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?

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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. [img]graemlins/salute.gif[/img]

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

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.

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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.

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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.

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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/fre...s/target2.html

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

E. Wayne Campbell

This is an absolutely fascinating thread! I've been following along ever since the opening video was posted. I'm truly proud to see this great story unfolding here on the WWII Forums.

Thread pinned.

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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/fre...s/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.

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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?

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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.

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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

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