From the outset, the inspiration for this family trip was our desire to attend the 60th Commemorative Ceremony for my Uncle Gordon and the airmen who perished with him that fateful day of November 2, 1944.
I recall several occasions growing up when my mother would become melancholy. It was always around Remembrance Day or November 11th, a day that Canadians formally honour our war veterans and those who lost their lives. I realize now that November 2, 1944 marks the anniversary of his death and that this news would have come to the family shortly thereafter. My mother was only 11 years old when her brother Gordon was killed. Her life changed, as did the life of my grandparents, Blanche and Harold Judges. I suspect that my Uncle Ken (a surviving WW II veteran and older brother to Gordon) was particularly struck by his brothers death. He is reluctant even today to talk about it. Painful memories. And Shirley, Barbra, Don, and Marjory. They just had to carry on without their brother. This is the legacy passed down to many families who experienced loss from a war.
We
did not expect to get caught up in the joy of meeting the other
families who, like us, have a somewhat personal connection to this war. No, I did not live through food rations, or buy
war bonds or hear terror stories of the air raids in London. But I remember hearing those stories from my mother because that was part of her experience as a child in war time. .
It remains a personal regret that I did not take my mother to visit her brothers grave site but I know she would be proud that we made this visit in her memory and to honour her brother and his fellow airmen.
Click here to get a recap of the story....
Our experience started immediately on arrival to Jalhay, Belgium after a long drive from Bruge. After communicating for a year and a half via e-mail and Facebook I finally met Bryan, the man responsible for finding the Judges family and introducing us to the Adans and Boulet legacy. We are grateful to Bryan for the passion and effort he puts into honouring veteran affairs overall but his continued acknowledgement of the incredible commitment of Leon Boulet and the Adans family.
Bryan whisked us off to the Canadian Memorial of Tigelot to see the monument.
(left to right is my sis-in-law Liz, brother Steve, brother Greg, me and cousin Kim, Kim's husband Dan and Leon Boulet, the President and honorary family member)
Here is the "Judges Clan" - cousin Kim, Steve, Lisa and Greg. This 60th Ceremony marks the first time any member of the Judges family (Gordon Judges family) has attended this service.
And here is Bryan, the man we are grateful to for informing us of this wonderful event, Dan, Kim and Leon Boulet.
Following those brief introductions, we were then whisked off to the local pub which is owned by the man who actually witnessed the Halifax bomber's crash. There are even photos of the Halifax bomber crash posted in the pub....
We met the Adans family and families who were also attending the service to remember their relatives. A quick afternoon cocktail was followed by a wonderful meal at the Hotel De Cremaillere in Jalhay.
By the morning of the service I began to realized this memorial service was not just a family affair. There were folks from several military and veteran affiliated organizations from across the UK, Europe, Canada and the like. Representatives from various Legions, veterans from the 77th Squadron, men and women currently in military service but stationed in Germany, the local media, the Jalhay mayor, and even the Canadian ambassador to Belgium came to represent the Government of Canada.
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| Various Legion's |
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| Current servicemen |
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| Legion's |
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| And bagpipers |
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| The Adans family |
Hundreds of people attended the church service which included a full flag ceremony, a choir singing the anthems of the Commonwealth countries and a full memorial service to honour these 7 airmen. Immediately following, a crowd gathered at the site of the Canadian Memorial Tigelot to conduct a formal wreath laying ceremony and short sermon. The site was showered with wreaths and flowers.
An afternoon long luncheon was attended by some hundred people or so, gathered to honour and remember these 7 airmen as well as the Adans and Boulet families for their ongoing commitment to maintaining this annual service and memorial site.
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| WW 2 veteran and 77th Squadron RAF Ralph discusses his log book with Steve and Greg. |
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| Anne Christy Adans and husband |
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| Here is a man dedicated to the 77th Squadron RAF in Elvington, England. |
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| Ralph and his daughter come every year when able. |
Click here to see a local newscast of the ceremony (in French only, however)
And
now we have a very personal connection with other families who have
this similar experience.
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| Harry Payne is the brother of airmen Edward Payne, flight engineer |
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| The handsome Payne men - 3 generations - son Lance, Harry (brother of Edward Payne, Flight Engineer), grandson |
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| Marie Josee (nee Adans) and husband Leon Boulet, our new family in Belgium. |
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We were exhausted after a long emotional day. We enjoyed a relaxing evening back at our hotel with some of the Legion members who had travelled from Germany for the service and Bryan and the Payne and Garcia families.
The 4 families visited Hotten War Cemeteray the following day to visit the grave sites of these great men who fell in a Halifax Bomber. They rest together, side by side.
