He was in Savy for the 502de Regiment of Steve Chappuis. His Battalion Commander (377th PFA) was Lt Colonel Elkins.
His job was to be really on the front line, as close as possible to enemy units in order to report by radio to the FDC/377th of Savy and tell them which Units they were: armored or infantry their number; their position; their direction of movement and all information useful for making a decision to fire their Holwitzer guns from Savy.
Red was working principally on the front line in Longchamps near the house Lejeune wich was also an Aid Station.
He was loging in Savy at the Leroy house n° 6
Savy – Attack by a friendly C-47 – The Plane made 3 passes. Red would run out in front of the house with his rifle to shoot down the airplane. On the 4th pass, the p-47 dropped a bomb about 75 yards in front of the house. Blew out all the windows in the house.
Red loads
He was one of the first to rescue GI’s from the C-47 Aint Missbehavin crash
Red Aint Missbehavin
He attended the crash of Joe Fry de Luzery’s C-47 and took a photo of it
Joe Fry Story
He took pictures of Bastogne
About ressuply at Savy
Red the blast
About drop zone and landing zone
Red drop zone
About the 377th Artillery / Battery B and the German tank taken intact
Red particularly liked to collect his mission orders every day from Eudore Mars-Dubuisson house. He used to linger there willingly: the youngest girl: Claire Mars was 23 years old, like him and was particularly pretty. (photo savy des ordres de mission)
Red Mission orders
At the n° 6 at Savy he was loging with 3 Officers
On January 3rd 45, at Longchamps, during the main german attack, he was
There was quite a bit of fog. Due to the creeping fog on the ground that there was in places that day, he could not see the front line. Red had gone up to the attic of the Lejeune house to try to see the battlefield. He tried to stick his head through the snuffbox, but because of his too big helmet, he couldn’t do it. He took off his helmet in order to put his head up and observe the front line. His “red” hair on a snowy roof was certainly noticed from afar. He had barely removed his head when bullets hit the roof.
The Commander of the Infantry Unit staying in the house advised him to follow him because he knew a clear place not far from where he could see the enemy. Which he did immediately.
Seeing enemy positions very clearly, He gave his Artillery Unit all the firing coordinates.
No sooner had the battle started a few minutes than he thought he had received a terrible nudge in the face from the Infantry Commander, even insulting him in passing.
It was not: he had received a shrapnel in his cheek.
Red never knew if it was an American or a German shell, the two fronts were so close.
He fell on the ground and had to crawl with many difficulties to the aid station (Lejeune house). He told me: “it was the longest day of my life”
Red the Snuffbox
Red Longchamps Chris Lejeune
Red Wall canon Lejeune
Red wounded
Red Attack
After wounded, evacuated back Rolley château to aid station, then to division station at the Bastogne Barrack,. From there went to a field hospital (don’t know where nor what its identifacation was), then to an hospital in Paris, the on to « Le Haiseu Deprue », From there went to England for more hospital stay for two weeks. Then went to Birmingham, England for a few days, then went back to France and then back to his unit, 377 Parachute Field Artillery.
Rolley Castle video
Rolley Castel Patton’s bed video
A commemorative plaque was placed on the Leroy house on the 70th anniversary
Recogne American Provisional Cemetery
Bisons de Recogne
Rolley’s pictures
Hemroulle Field Hospital’s pictures
Red wedding dress
Red forgotten parachute
Red St Josheph’s school
Antoine
St. Joseph’s school anthem
Red The queen
TV reportage by Belgium TvLux
A commemorative plaque was placed on the Leroy house on the 70th anniversary