Chimay Airmen Execution Monument
Details:
Next to the chapel.
Monument
A rough-hewn stone bearing two gray plaques written in French in gold lettering. The upper plaque commemorates the eight American aviators who died on April 22, 1944. The lower plaque contains the names, ranks, ages, and nationalities of the eight American airmen, who had been evading capture in Belgium. Sgt. Reese was a crew member of the B-17 'Womans' Home Companion' which crashed in Cerfontaine, Lt. Eike, 2Lt. Benninger, and Sgt. Pindroch were crew members of the B-17 'Susan Ruth' which crashed in Macquenoise, Sgt. Owens, Sgt. Nichols, and Sgt. Gemborski crashed with their B-17 in the Netherlands. 2Lt. Huish was the navigator of B-17 'Skunkface' which crashed at Lens on February 20, 1944. The monument was erected in 1999 and was erected by the organization which was founded by Paul Delahaye. It was called the Belgo-Americain Foundation but after Paul died in 2013, the name was changed to Devoir de Mémoire de Momignies-Chimay.
On April 22, 1944, as the crewmen finished breakfast, they heard the sound of automatic weapons firing. They, along with the farmers who had assisted them, were captured by German soldiers, having been betrayed. At the same time, thirty Belgian citizens from Chimay were also arrested and sent to concentration camps. The airmen were stripped, searched, and identified by their dog tags, which revealed they were not considered Freedom Fighters.
That afternoon, with their hands tied behind their backs, the Americans were taken into the nearby woods by two armed German guards each. They were separated, and at a signal, each was shot multiple times in the back. Their bodies were buried in a mass grave at the military airfield near Gosselin Their remains were later moved to the military cemetery at Margraten in the Netherlands. The Belgian authorities prosecuted some of the perpetrators after the war.
Source of information: libertyladybook.com, www.hangarflying.eu
Source of photos: Steve Snyder, www.hangarflying.eu
Monument Text:
Upper Plaque:
PASSANT, N'OUBLIE PAS
QUE PRES D'ICI
LE 22 AVRIL 1944
HUIT AVIATEURS AMERICAINS
ONT ETE FUSILLES
ET DEUX PARTISANS BELGES
ONT DONNE LEUR VIE
POUR QUE TOI
TU VIVES LIBRE
English translation:
BY PASSING, DON'T FORGET
THAT NEAR HERE
ON APRIL 22ND 1944
EIGHT AMERICAN AIRMEN
WERE SHOT
AND TWO BELGIAN PARTISANS
GAVE THEIR LIVES
SO THAT YOU
WOULD LIVE FREE
Lower Plaque:
IN MEMORIAM
REESE |
Vincent |
Sgt |
22 |
ans |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OWENS |
Orian |
Sgt |
24 |
ans |
USA |
NICHOLS |
Charles |
Sgt |
23 |
ans |
USA |
GEMBORSKI |
John |
Sgt |
21 |
ans |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EIKE |
George |
Lt |
23 |
ans |
USA |
BENNINGER |
Robert |
2eme Lt |
21 |
ans |
USA |
PINDROCH |
John |
Sgt |
19 |
ans |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HUISH |
William |
2eme Lt |
24 |
ans |
USA |
English translation:
IN MEMORY OF
REESE |
Vincent |
Sgt |
22 |
yrs old |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
OWENS |
Orian |
Sgt |
24 |
yrs old |
USA |
NICHOLS |
Charles |
Sgt |
23 |
yrs old |
USA |
GEMBORSKI |
John |
Sgt |
21 |
yrs old |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
EIKE |
George |
Lt |
23 |
yrs old |
USA |
BENNINGER |
Robert |
2nd Lt |
21 |
yrs old |
USA |
PINDROCH |
John |
Sgt |
19 |
yrs old |
USA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
HUISH |
William |
2nd Lt |
24 |
yrs old |
USA |
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
322nd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy
360th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Heavy
368th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomb Group, Heavy
369th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomb Group, Heavy
United States Air Force
Wars:
WWII
Other images :