F/O Edmund L. Decker Remembered

Kris,

Do you know the name of the French guide? This will help prevent duplication of effort.

Thanks,

Sean

 

Sean,
His name is Antonin DeHays.

There was a report on the Normandy Institute program on PBS News Hour this evening. They also posted an article on the website. F/O Decker and Audrey are in both. She's still researching information for her website. She's sent the form to the Canadian Archive and hopes to hear back from them. She'll continue to share everything she finds and truly appreciates your help!

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/students-teachers-uncover-remnants-world-war-ii/

Thank you!
Kris

 

Hello Kris

Good news for you - I have just returned earlier today from a holiday in Normandy, and met up with Sean who very kindly took my daughter and up to the US Cemetery at Colleville where I was able to take a few photos of the gravestone for you.

I will pass them on to Pat to upload at least one to the forum for general viewing, and if you PM me with an e-mail address I will ensure that you get the originals.

A sincere thank you to Sean from Rachel and I for a great day - and no thanks to the French farmers who delayed us between locations !

regards

Allan

 

Hi All,

while searching for addtl info for 356FG strafing ground targets BP 1891.01 I found on aerosteles.net a memorial with a picture from F/O Edmund Decker. The memorial makes reference to the village Saint-Martin-Osmonville and seems quite new at this location.

In close vicinity to the place with the monument from F/O Edmund Decker are 2 Bois Carre V1 sites and maybe the Squadron has been attracted to look up this place. One place is located app 2-3 miles south at Grand Parc as documented with sortie 106G/1055 flown on 23 June 1944. The other location is 2-3 miles north at Ardouval in the Foret d'Eawy documented in sortie 106G/1622 flow by 542 Squadron (RAF).

 

Thanks, let's hope our friends stateside are still with us, and reading this update.

Allan

 

Hi All, some updates here.

1st
I think I found F/O E. L. Deckers name in one pic from the American Air Museum in Britain. The pic FRE255 shows a status board and the line up of fighter pilots.

The caption reads:
"Three men of the 63rd Fighter Squadron work in one of the offices of the 56th Fighter Group. Behind their desk is a map of Europe and a Status Board for each of the Squadron's aircraft. N.d."
Among the names I can read are Capt. H.A. Ogden and F/O E.L. Decker. Decker's name can be seen in strike-through. Other names I can read are Chrouch (strike-through), Andermatt, Huff. Amstrong and Clarck.

2nd
The museum holds another pic - the flight book from Capt. Ogden:FRE0022479

The caption for D-Day comments reads:
"D-Day! I got 2 direct hits with my bombs on a train. Blew up a locomotive with M.G. My wing man and I found 10 tracks, set 6 on fire, damaged the others." The Duty Column for the 8 June 1944 reads: "Strafing Area Support in the vicinity of Beauvais. Group made 5 missions there." The section for comments from 8 June reads: "Shot up few things. ... Shot up an armored column. M/Y f (?) locomotive. Lost Lee. Smitty ...(?) by ...(?)."

Capt. Ogden is listed in his flight book to be the lead of the 361 Fighter Squadron on D-Day. For the 8th of June I just can see 36x. The 3rd digit is hidden.

From the BP footage BP 1891.01 F/O Decker is also part of the 361 Fighter SQDN on D-Day. A possible hint that F/O E.L. Decker was together with Capt. H.A. Ogden and others in the Beauvais area not to far from Saint Saens, where he was lost.

3rd
While searching further for more info I came on the American Air Museum in Britain across this pic from the Roger Freeman Collection: FRE002692
The caption reads: "P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group attack a German troop convoy, 6 June 1944. Gun Camera image. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Attack on train summer 1944. 4-14. 6 June 1944. Major German convoy strafed by the 56th Ftr. Group in the late afternoon of D-Day. The 352 Fighter Group had caught this convoy of German ground forces well south of the beach-heads and were pulling away when the 56th moved in. (A Royal Flush) mission well in advance of the beach heads. We were at this armored column at 0300 AM the next morning. Burned out trucks, carts, caissons etc. stacked for miles. Taken with a K-25 camera.' "

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Low laying sun is casting long shadows parallel to a straight road. So this has to be an east-west going road, "... well south of the beach-heads. ..."

I have searched this location 1st in the area around Tour Le Mans but soon it became clear this is more around greater area of Chartres. The trees and any type of bocage are missing. Either well south of the river Loire or Chartres. I searched for more info and finally came along on fold 3 an interview post-war with Gen-Maj F. Kraemer and Gen-Lt F. Beyerlein under the WWII Historical Studies section that 12 SS Panzer Division was moving out of Dreux area the afternoon of D-Day. Still searching for a while but finally I was able to locate this place close to Bernay in the Evreux-Dreux area. It is Chateau au le Fay.
Source of both pics is is IGN areal images and historical maps section.

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This one resolved. Hans