Soldiers of WWII at Hainaut

Hainaut-Louisiana Soldiers:
World War I:
Dallas Bordelon of Marksville, Louisiana, a descendant of the DeCuir family of Macon, Hainaut, Belgium, fought on Belgium soil during the first World War.
World War II:
At least one of the thousands of soldiers who came to the aid of Belgium in 1944 was an Hainaut descendant. Raymond Dauzat (Photo of Raymond Dauzat taken near Macon, Belgium by LaHaye family in 1944) of Louisiana was descended from the families of central Louisiana, including DeCuir and Pourceau, who came from this very area he helped defend some 224 years after their immigration to the New World.

Time Line of WW II in Chimay-Momignies area, Hainaut, Belgium:

May, 1940, French Plane fell at Momignies, Belgium

December 30, 1943, B-17 named Woman's House Companion crashed at Cerfontaine.

January 11, 1944 B-17 Plane #42-29524 crashes near Maastrict, Netherlands, survivors make way to Chimay area of Belgium.

February 8, 1944, B-17 The Susan Ruth crashed. Among the crew, two men were killed in the crash, five went back to the US, and three were arrested then killed in Saint-Remy, Belgium along with five other U.S. soldiers by Germans. In August, 1989, a memorial was erected with the four survivors and thier families. The pilots returned to Belgium for the 50th anniversary of Belgium's liberation in 1994.

February 20, 1944 The plane Skunkface crashes at Lens-sur-Dendre, Belgium.

April 22, 1944 Bloodiest day of World War II in the Chimay region. 1,000 to 1,500 German troops invade area, take 33 prisoners, execute 8 American soldiers.

(Sept 1-4 - First in France: Verdun, Dieppe, Artois, Rouen, Abbeville, then in Belgium: Antwerp and Brussels liberated by Allies)

September 2, 1944, Soldiers of Freedom arrived, soldiers of Peace, the 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th division, 7th corps, 1st army. An unforgetable memory to the people of this region as freedom was gained again, and the German flags were taken down from the flagpoles, and replaced again with Beglian flags. 12 GI's were killed, including two officers, as they crossed the French border into Belgium, making them the first U. S. men killed in Belgium during the Liberation. A memorial has been set up at the site, with 12 sympblic tombs, (only five names are known so far), seven flagpoles for the seven allied countries. 1st, 2nd, battalions, 60th regt. 9th inf.
Names include:
Sgt. Charles G. Graves, Co. A?, 1 bat? (spelling?)
Five symbolic gravestones are marked and the rest are blank. The committee would like to learn the names of these other soldiers.
Another marker tells the history in english:
SEPTEMBER 2, 1944, 11:30a.m.
ON THIS SPOT
THE FIRST HEROES
OF THE LIBERATION FELL
60IR 9ID 7AC 1st U.S. ARMY

September 8, 1944, A divsion, (3rd armoured divsion?) came from Liege, Belgium to have some rest in the Chimay/Momignies area. 10,000 men came for a well deserved rest of three weeks. The regiment staed at Beauwelz's primary school. Raymond Dauzat of Marksville, Louisiana, USA, was one of the soldiers. He spoke French and made friends with the Delahaye family for several days. 54 years later, a photo was showed to a group from Louisiana visiting the Belgium town of Macon, and they helped to make contact with the late Dauzat's children, Michael Dauzat and Faye Dauzat Coco of Marksville.

Dec 16-27, 1944 - Famous Battle of the Bulge in the nearby Ardennes.

May 8, 1945 V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.

Soldiers

The following list is of the soldiers on the planes and/or their family memebrs who have been located in the United States and have been invited to various memorial functions in Belgium by the Belgium-American Association, headed by Dr. Delahaye.

On the plane Susan Ruth
* Captain Howard Snyder, pilot
* William Slenker, tail gunner
* Roy Holbert, turret gunner
* Joseph Musial, left gunner (deceased)
* Finroch, killed by Germans April 22
* Eike, killed by Germans April 22
* Benniger, killed by Germans April 22

On the plane Skunkface
* Ernest B. Kidd, pilot
* Ober L. Torvik, turret gunner
* Billy L. Ramsey, waist gunner
* Frances A. Hentges, tail gunner
* William H. Huish, killed by Germans April 22

On the plane Woman's House Companion which crashed December 30, 1943, B-17 at Cerfontaine.
* William H. Huish's brother and son, navigator (he was killed in Saint-Remy's woods on April 22, 1944
* William Wolff, flight engineer
* William Osborn's son, pilot (deceased) * Jack Jernigan's family, copilot (deceased) * Vincent Reese, killed by Germans April 22

On the B-17 which crashed in the Netherlands
* William D. Reed, pilot (usually the copilot
* James b. McMahon, usual pilot for the crew
* Myron Dmochowski, bombadier
* Glaze and Cole who left Saint-Remy (Chimay), Belgium, a week before the murder by the Germans
* Orian Owen's brother, Gaylord Owens (Orian was murdered at Saint-Remy by the Germans
* Gemborski's wife, Helen Prussak ( he was murdered at Saint-Remy)
* Nichols, killed by Germans April 22

Every year, ceremonies are organized by the Belgo-Americain Foundation and wreaths of flowers are laid on the tombs of the soldiers four times a year: February, May, September, and November.

Dr. Paul Delahaye, was a young teenager when he witnessed the horror of aggression by the German army and the happiness of the freedom brought by the allies. He recalls his father and family being friendly with the soldiers, including the French-Speaking Raymond Dauzat of Louisiana, USA. Dr. Delahaye is now president of the US-Belgium Foundation (Foundation Belgo-Americaine of Momignies, the starting point of Freedom in Belgium)

Links to other sites on the Web

World War II in Belgium by Georges Picavet
Photo: Yanks of 60th Infantry Regiment advance into a Belgian town under the protection of a heavy tank.
Photo: American soldier captures German Sept.1944 In Small Town of France

Please email us if you have any information, names of soldiers, planes, etc., to add to this page of American and Louisiana soldiers in Hainaut, Belgium.

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