November 11th Remembrance

November is a time of reflection for our families and friends who sacrificed their lives in WWI and WWII to give us our freedom. In Canada, Remembrance Day is November 11th. This year a story unfolded beginning with the publishing of an article in the Wishaw press co uk newspaper titled, Belgian historians try to track down family of downed WWII airmen.

Stéphane Herin and Albert Fraipont, both from Saint-Hubert Belguim, along with Benoît Bilmans of Montreal, Canada, after long hours of searching month after month, finally managed to track down members of all the families of the 7 airmen that were killed.

The families were invited to attend an official remembrance day ceremony September 15th 2012 in Awenne, Saint Hubert and Florennes, Belguim to honor the memory of Canadians Flight Officer Allan John Middleton, Flight Lt. Kenneth MacGregor Gray, Flight Sgt. Charles William Pickering, Sgt. Douglas Allen Black, Flight Sgt. James Henry Evans, Flight Sgt. James Hanna and Sgt Henry King ( the only RAF member) and dedicated a cross and memorial at the site where the airmen perished that dark night near the Belgian village of Awenne.

The HR 872 LQ-K Halifax of the No. 405 RCAF Squadron was shot down August 10th 1943. The Airmen are buried in the communal cemetery of Florennes Belguim and the graves are taken care of by Stpéhane Herin, to this very day.

A very personal account of this event was written in a book and given to the families of the airmen. As a member of one of these families I am honored to tell you this story ~ to Remember them.

Medicine Hat Alberta Memorial

Memorial in Belguim

 The Cross marking the site 

of the plane crash in Belguim. 

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

      Between the crosses, row on row,

   That mark our place; and in the sky

   The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

   Loved and were loved, and now we lie

         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

         In Flanders fields.