24 and 25 September 2024
Visit of Laurie and Richard Feingold
Campremy, Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, Clermont,
Noailles and Auneuil (Oise)
In French 
In August, we were pleasantly surprised to be contacted by Richard and Laurie Feingold, son and daughter of 2nd Lt. Louis Feingold, who expressed a desire to visit France to retrace their father's escape.
2nd Lt. Louis Feingold was a navigator aboard the Flying Fortress “Destiny's Tot”, which fell at Campremy on December 30, 1943 on its return from a bombing mission over Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Arriving from New Jersey, Richard and Laurie first traveled to Plouha (Côtes d'Armor), to discover the site where their father, taken in by the Shelburn escape network, was exfiltrated to England from the beach at Anse Cochat.
Plouha - Bonaparte Beach
Their visit then continued in the Oise region for two days, first in Campremy, at the crash site, then in the area where their father landed by parachute, and finally in Saint-Just-en-Chaussée.
In Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, they visited the former home of Jean Crouet, who was the first to come to the aid of 2nd Lt. Feingold and his crewmate, 2nd Lt. Tarkington, and then the former bakery run by Leon Hary, where the two airmen stayed from January 1 to 3, 1944, before returning to Jean Crouet's home.
During the visit, Richard and Laurie met Léon Hary's two granddaughters, who gave them a tour of the bakery's backyard and the upstairs cellar where their father was hidden.
The day continued in Clermont. Louis Feingold, still in the company of Warren Tarkington, stayed there from January 6 to 21, 1944, with Odette Sauvage and Gaston Legrand. They were able to meet Jean-Marc Sauvage, one of Odette's grandsons, who was never stingy with anecdotes about the airmen his grandmother hosted during the war.
At the end of the afternoon, Richard and Laurie had the honor of being received in the Salle des Gardes at Clermont town hall. Welcomed by the town council and the Association des Anciens FFI, Lionel Ollivier, the town's mayor, emphasized that he was delighted to welcome them and to see that they, too, were cultivating this all-important duty to remember. Then, with Cécile Grange, deputy mayor in charge of Culture, the Médaille de la Ville was awarded to our two visitors.
Deeply moved, Laurie found it hard to hide her emotion. “We are very grateful to Odette and Gaston. Without them, we wouldn't be here, because our father would never have returned to America".
Richard recalled that his father regularly recounted the adventure that had marked his life. “He considered himself very lucky to have escaped, thanks in particular to all the French people who were willing to help and hide him, like Odette and Gaston. We ourselves are honored to have known them, as they were friends of our parents".
The whole story of 2nd Lt. Louis Feingold's escape was then recounted before sharing a glass of friendship.
Some members of the “N'oublie pas 44” Association were also present, allowing our friends to take a short ride through the streets of the town in a vintage American vehicle after the reception.
Richard and Laurie's visit continued the next day in Noailles. We were warmly welcomed by Gerard Eckert and his family, who still occupy the farmhouse where so many airmen had been billeted by their parents during the Second World War. The Eckert family had prepared a small exhibition, and period documents were shared.
In September 2023, a plaque was unveiled on the porch, bearing the names of the Allied airmen who had taken refuge in Robert and Marthe Eckert's home. Laurie and Richard were thrilled to discover their father's name engraved in marble. He stayed here from January 22 to 24, 1944.
The last stage of the visit took place in Auneuil, where we were kindly received by the current owner of the house occupied by Gilbert Thibault during the war. The founder of the Alsace escape network, he sheltered 2nd Lts Louis Feingold and Warren Tarkington from January 24 to January 27, 1944, when they were transported to Paris.
A reception in honor of the American family's visit was then held at the town hall. In the absence of the mayor, who was excused for personal reasons, Mr. Jean-Marc Rozé, deputy mayor, delivered a welcome speech in honor of the visit by the descendants of 2nd Lt. Louis Feingold.
“...Through you, we honor not only the memory of your father, but also that of all the Allied airmen who were taken in by the French Resistance. This is also an opportunity for us to honor, once again, the memory of Gilbert Thibault, one of the greatest Resistance fighters of the Oise, leader of the “Alsace” network, who sheltered over a hundred of these airmen, like your father in 1944, before repatriating them to England through various channels. Forgotten for too long, our commune paid tribute to him on May 8, 2022, and through him to all those who worked alongside him at the risk of their lives...”
Then, on behalf of the mayor, Richard and Laurie were each presented with the Médaille de la Ville, marking not only their time in the town but also the link between Auneuil and their father.
Richard Feingold is passionate about the history of his father's missions and escape to France. He often gives talks in the United States to young and old alike, helping to keep alive the duty of remembrance. The various places he has visited and his encounters with the descendants of French families now enable him to back up his presentations and better understand how his father was able to reach England after two months in hiding among those who came to his aid.