Travels

Southern France, August 2024 (80th Anniversary of the Liberation):

The village of Cairanne invited me to attend the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Southern France to help unveil a plaque honoring my grandfather, 1st Lt Edgar R. Danby and his fellow soldiers of B Company, 756th Tank Battalion, and the 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment for helping to liberate Cairanne on 26 August 1944. During the visit, I also attended ceremonies at Bonlieu, Allan, Saint-Restitut and Saint-Paul- trois-Chateaux. Below are photos and details to this unforgettable experience. My oldest daughter, Candace, speaks French better than I do and accompanied me. Also, my Swiss friend, Gilles Guignard, drove down from Geneva to help coordinate my schedule and help with any military translations. As a result, I made some new discoveries. Gilles was absolutely indispensable! Thanks, Gilles!

(Above): 26 August 2024- My speech at the Cairanne WWI Memorial with Mayor Roger Rossin (with sash), translator, Denis Vignal (red jacket) and WWII reenactors dressed for the occasion. The French in the area maintain a wide variety WWII-era vehicles (especially jeeps!) and also enjoy dressing as American soldiers, paratroopers, nurses, or as FFI resistance fighters. Even after eighty years, appreciation for the sacrifices of those who restored freedom–particularly Americans–has not waned. Candace and I were treated like royalty.

(Above): 26 August 2024 – The unveiling of the memorial plaque at Cairanne. Candace is on the left, Mayor Rossin is on the right.

(Above) 26 August 2024- Close up of the memorial plaque at Cairanne. The tanks in the photos are from 2nd Platoon, B Company, 756th Tank Battalion. I believe the tanker standing and facing the camera in the photo on the right is Sgt Alfred Mancini. Edgar’s 3rd Platoon tanks relieved the 2nd Platoon during the night.

(Above) 27 August 2024- Candace, me, Gerard Coussot, and Mayor Roger Rossin. Gerard is the president of the local historical association “Cairanne et son vieux village.” Both he and Mayor Rossin deserve credit for organizing much of the event–which lasted several days and included exhibitions, live music, barbeques, and other activities. Cairanne is known for fine hearty Rhone wines and so there was plenty of opportunity to sample the local product! It is also a beautiful and ancient hilltop town. If you are ever in southern France, be sure to visit!

(Above) 25 August 2024- Bonlieu-sur-Roubion is a small town east of Montelimar and north of Allan. The village was liberated by troops of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division on 25 August 1944 and eight soldiers from the 111th Combat Engineers Battalion lost their lives there. Although I really don’t have any direct connection to these events, I was invited to participate in the unveiling of the plaque commemorating these men. It was a great honor! Vincent Garret (standing next to me, back row, far right) has written books about the 36th Division and did the research on each of these men ahead of the commemoration. His research was quite impressive. Vincent is also active in local WWII reenactor groups. You can see some of them here, dressed well for the occasion! David Bruce is standing to my right (second from the left in back row). He is an American living in Montelimar and serves as post commander for Paris Post 1 of the American Legion.

(Above) 25 August 2024- Bonlieu commemoration plaque. The French do not forget…. (Photo by Gilles Guignard).

(Above) 25 August 2024- Saint-Restitut. After I wrote “Day of the Panzer” the B Company 756th Tank Battalion unit journal, thought to be long lost, was discovered at the Eisenhower library in Kansas. In the entry for 27 August 1944, it records my grandfather’s platoon liberated the small hilltop town of Saint-Restitut after departing Suze-la-Rousse and reaching Saint-Paul-trois-Chateaux. Ahead of my visit, Gerard Coussot found a local civilian Henri Musso, who witnessed the arrival of the Americans that morning. Henri was around ten years old and watched an M4 tank move at high speed up the mountain road going to the left. At the time the road was gravel, and the tank kicked up a lot of dust. Several trucks and infantry on foot followed. There’s a good chance Henri witnessed my grandfather’s tank. As platoon leader, Edgar was likely leading the assault. No Germans held the town, so the visit was short–less than an hour before the force moved on to Saint-Paul. Monseiur Musso is on the left (white shirt), Candace is in the black dress. Gilles is behind Candace and Patrick Deboute (owner and driver of the jeep) can be seen behind Gilles. After hearing Henri’s testimony, Candace and I boarded the jeep and Patrick drove us up into town.

(Above) 25 August 2024- Saint-Restitut. We arrived, stunned to see an enormous reception had been arranged for us! Another amazing experience and my favorite photo from the trip! The tank (likely my grandfather’s) parked in front of the mayor’s residence for less than an hour before moving on. The older locals recall seeing a photo of the tank, but it has since been lost… (Photo credit – Saint-Restitut)

(Above three photos) 25 August 2024- Saint-Restitut 80th Anniversary commemoration of the liberation. Mayor Christine Forot can be seen wearing mayor’s sash. (Photo credit: Saint-Restitut)

(Above) Allan, 25 August 2024 – We stopped briefly in Allan before visiting Bonlieu to see the sites before the crowds. Here, Candace and I stand in the road where my grandfather’s tank was knocked out 80 years ago. Straight ahead and 400 yards away is a cemetery and bend in the road where the Germans hid three Panther tanks and several Marder III anti-tank guns. In the top photo, Candace is holding up a photo taken of my grandfather’s tank in late 1944. The young boy in the photo is Jean Pic. If you scroll down to my earlier visits, you will see Jean. Sadly, Jean passed away a few years ago.

(Above) 25 August 2024, Allan. I am standing at the location behind the cemetery wall, where the German Panther tank and supporting infantry were hidden during the battle for Allan. After the Americans took the town and began moving north, the Panther knocked out my grandfather’s tank and held up the advance for the remainder of the day.

(Above) 25 August 2024, Allan. View south from cemetery position of Panther into town. My grandfather’s tank was knocked out in the center of the road near a small bridge. Afterwards, the Germans counterattacked in force and nearly annihilated L Company, 15th Infantry Regiment.

(Above) 25 August 2024, Allan. Gilles and I stand near the plaque in the center of town, honoring my grandfather, his two crewmates and six members of L Company who were killed in combat during the liberation of Allan on 27 August 1944. We are both wearing hats with the insignia for the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, the “Rock of the Marne.” The 15th Infantry Regiment and 756th Tank Battalion were part of the 3rd Division during the Southern France Campaign.

(Above) 27 August 2024, Allan. I am standing with Julien Deydier and his beautifully restored 1943 GBW jeep. A few months ago, while Julien was finishing up the restoration, he contacted me for advice and decided to honor Captain Dave Redle by marking it as his jeep. The bumper markings and war department number are accurate according to the surviving B Company, 756th Tank Battalion maintenance logs.

(Above three photos) Candace and I standing with Mayor Yves Courbis for the 80th Anniversary ceremony in Allan. (Photo credit: Gilles Guignard)

(Above two photos) The local reenactors seen earlier at Bonlieu appear at Allan for the ceremony. With them, Vincent Garrett–this time dressed impeccably as a tank crewman from the 756th Tank Battalion. Gilles is seen on the far right of the top photo. Thanks, Gilles!

(Above) Candace talks to Jean Dessalles, As a boy, Jean Dessalles remembered the Germans staging forces at his family’s farm north of Allan and saw the aftermath of battle–including my grandfather’s destroyed tank.

(Above) Memorial card created in honor of my grandfather, 1st Lt Edgar R. Danby.

(Above) 27 August 2024 at Saint-Paul-trois-Chateaux. My grandfather helped liberate this town on the morning of 27 August 1944 before heading north to Allan. We attended the memorial ceremonies briefly here, before leaving for Avignon and ending our visit to Southern France. This beautifully maintained M4A1 with 76mm gun was parked with a number of other WWII vehicles including a halftrack, ambulance and several jeeps. Sadly, we were in such a terrible rush, we had little time to take them all in! I talked briefly with the owner, who I think was British, but failed to get his name. He owns several WWII vehicles that he showcases at events like this all over France.

Southern France, August 2004:

(Above) February 2005 “Watch on the Rhine” letter from George S. Burks on visit to Allan, France.

(Above) French newspaper article from “La Dauphine” dated August 20th, 2004 about the 3rd Infantry Division veterans and Jeff Danby visiting Allan, France (the village featured in Day of the Panzer). George Burks, former executive officer of L Company, 15th Infantry Regiment, is standing third from the right in the group photos. (Article is in French.)

(Above) French newspaper article from “La Dauphine” dated August 20th, 2004 about the 3rd Infantry Division veterans honored at Montélimar. Side bar is about Jeff Danby retracing the steps of his grandfather, 1st Lt. Edgar R. Danby. (Article is in French.)

(Above) French newspaper articles from “La Provence” dated August 22nd, 2004 about Jeff Danby’s visit during the 60th Anniversary celebrations at the villages of Berre L’Etang and Vitrolles (Northwest of Marseille). (Articles are in French.)

WWII Memorial Dedication, Washington DC, August 2004

(Above) August 2004 “Watch on the Rhine” article by Jim Tiezzi about the Society of the Third Infantry Division at the WWII Memorial dedication.

Allan, France, August 2001

(Above) French newspaper article from “La Tribune” dated August 6th, 2001 about Jeff Danby and his father, Russell, visiting Allan, France. (Article is in French.)