Cérémonie d'inauguration des 2 stèles à Biriatou 16 avril 2016

• Report rights infringement
• published: 05 May 2016
• views: 14

Samedi, 16 avril 2016 à Biriatou. Thanks to Brice Esquirre, Brady Whitlow, Chris Scott & John Clinch for the photos! Background: 1st Lt "Dick" Whitlow, USAAF was the aircraft commander of B-17F, serial # 42-3539, "Michigan Air Force". It was shot down by a Bf-109G of JG26/12 over Holten, Holland, on 10th October 1943 during the return from the crew's 5th mission (target: Munster). S/Sgts Howard Walker and Thomas M Ennis were both fatally wounded during the attack. http://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/american-war-cemetery-margraten-w/65546-walker-howard-e http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln;=Ennis&GSfn;=Thomas&GSmn;=M&GSbyrel;=all&GSdy;=1943&GSdyrel;=in&GSob;=n&GRid;=127930948&df;=all& RIP. Guided by the Comet Line, "Dick" Whitlow crossed the Pyrenees via Larressore (the inland route) on 20 December 1943. Dick's co-pilot 2nd Lt James F Burch, USAAF, was picked up in Belgium by the Comet Line and guided down to the Pays Basque. During an ill-fated attempt to cross the river Bidassoa (near Biriatou) between occupied France and Francoist Spain, he and Count Antoine d'Ursel (former head of Comète in Belgium) were swept away by the flood waters and drowned during the night of 23-24 December 1943. The Germans removed the 2 bodies and they were never seen again. Jim Burch was to be the only pilot lost by Comet during the war. After the war, the Count's widow erected a memorial to her late husband at the riverside. In recent years, the riverbank became unstable and the Municipality of Biriatou kindly offered to move the memorial to a safer and more accessible site. Following an appeal for donations, "Les amis du réseau Comète" were able to provide a similar memorial to Jim Burch. This video shows the inauguration ceremony. The group of evaders that attempted the crossing of the Bidassoa on 23-24 Dec 1943 comprised: Count d'Ursel †, 2nd Lts Jim Burch †, Bob Grimes, Lloyd Stanford, Art Horning. Albert Ancia & Roland Bru (both French) completed the party. They were led by 3 Comet guides. Family members of "Dick" Whitlow, Bob Grimes, Count d'Ursel and Albert Ancia were present for the inauguration. http://cometepaysbasque.blogspot.fr/ http://cometepaysbasque.blogspot.fr/2014/12/7-2e-lt2nd-lt-james-f-burch-usaaf.html (inc video describing the crossing attempt) I do not own the accompanying music: Sir Colin Davis - Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations - Variation IX (Adagio) "Nimrod" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqvOVGCt5lw