Summer 2026 15 The final day’s tour again started in Bastogne and went outward to Bizory, the scene of a battle involving the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, followed by a visit to their monument in Mont. Afterwards we focussed attention on the 506th PIR area and their defensive actions in Noville. Close to the church was a memorial erected by the community bearing the names of 8 men, including the parish priest, who were executed by the Gestapo in reprisal for the village giving hospitality to US forces following their liberation. The German cemetery is located in Recogne just outside the village of Foy, where the bodies of 6807 soldiers are interred. It was created in the 1950s and made possible by a major financial donation from Volkswagen. It is a very sombre and dark place, with small plain headstones marking graves with multiple occupants. It contrasted starkly with Commonwealth War Grave cemeteries with their careful landscaping and individual headstones bearing personal family messages. Later we took in various other sites of significance, including Kessler Farm where the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment received a German officer carrying a white flag and a message calling for the surrender of the 101st Airborne, which led to the famous “Nuts” response from General Mc Auliffe. The day ended at the Bastogne Barracks, which is now a military vehicle renovation workshop and visitor information centre. On our last day in the Ardennes, on the recommendation of our tour guide, many of the group made a trip to the 101st Airborne Museum located in Bastogne. Although relatively small it housed some very interesting exhibits, including full size tableaus depicting life for the soldiers on both sides and the civilian population. Throughout the 3 days of the tour, Frank talked about the conditions endured by the troops on the ground, who experienced hardship and deprivation caused by the extreme cold, lying snow, fog, inadequate clothing and poor rations. He introduced several stories about the actions of individual US soldiers. Those personalities included Jim “PeeWee”Martin, who served in G Company, 3rd Battalion, 506th PIR and notably saw action near Recogne. Although only 106 lbs he made up for his lack of stature with his actions, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He lived to the age of 101, which was his ambition as a staunch member of the 101st Airborne. Also mentioned was George Jackson, who served in the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion, attached to the 101st Airborne. He joined the division after they returned to England from Normandy and fought on the frontline during the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded on Christmas Day and survived the war with a piece of shrapnel embedded in his body. His unit received 2 Presidential Citations, the Croix de Guerre and the Netherlands Orange Lanyard. Technician 4th Grade Truman Kimbro of C Company, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, attached to the 2nd Infantry Division was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for placing mines directly in the path of advancing German armour at a key crossroads. The Battle of the Bulge lasted 6 weeks and fighting was fierce and brutal. Many thousand Allied and German soldiers and Belgian civilians were killed and wounded and numerous towns and villages laid to waste. The group left La Roche on Monday 15th June, en route for Calais and the Channel Tunnel. We spent our last night together in Ashford before going our separate ways home. In finishing this piece, I want to place on record my appreciation and that of the rest of the group for the planning and organisational efforts of Steve Mason and his partner Rachael. The highly successful and enjoyable tour was made possible by their dedication and constant care throughout the time we spent together. We both greatly appreciated the company and friendship of our fellow tourists. The group bonded really well and we had some great moments of humour and banter. Alex Hargreaves Ian Harvey by a “Dragons Tooth” on the Siegfried Line The Memorial to the US POWs murdered by the SS known as the Malmedy Massacre The Group at Bastogne Barracks The group by a Tiger Tank in La Gleize The USA Memorial at the Bastogne War Museum The German Cemetery at Recogne
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