The Bombardment of May 26, 1944: 
A Web memorial to the French schoolchildren and teachers killed by American bombs
Saint-Etienne, France


MAITRES
JACOB Alexandre, DESCOMBES Louis, DECRAT Charles, DEJOB Jean
DUCREUX Pierre, FRAPPA Pierre, PORTE Alexandre
GRANGER Pierre

ELEVES
CERVANTES Rosa, BROUILLAT Michel, BRUN Joseph, BURLET Philbert
CERVANTES François, BEBNI Zenon, DESCOT Benoit, FLORET Jean
MAGAND Paul, OTTOVIANO Joseph, PEJON Maurice, PEJON Pierre
SABATIER Henri, SOUVIGNET Marcel, TIBLIER Antoine, VIGOUROUX Roger
VACHER Marie Therese, CLEMONÇON Maurice, GOUTORBE Claude Francis, GUICHARD Georges
GUY Jacques, HEYRAUD Henri, RICHARD Maurice, VALOT Bernard

Above is the rebuilt École de Tardy, one of 1100 buildings destroyed when American bombers targeted the railroad freight yards. Of the 984 people killed in Saint-Etienne that morning, 32 were here.


 

On the nearby grassy hilltop of the La Cotonne neighborhood is the 1954 Madonna and Child memorial.

 

Text on Plaque English Translation

O Marie
Reine Immaculée
de L'Univers
Donnez la Paix
au Monde

O Mary
Immaculate Queen
of the Universe
Give Peace
to the World

Ce monument a été élevé
en souvenir des victimes
du bombardement du 26 mai 1944

This monument has been erected
in memory of the victims
of the bombardment of May 26, 1944

La première pierre a été bénie
par Monseigneur Bornet
Évêque de St Étienne
le 26 Mai 1954

The first stone was blessed
by Monsignor Bornet
Bishop of Saint-Etienne
May 26, 1954

Sur la pierre de base
sont gravés les noms
de tous les maîtres et élèves
tués à l'École de Tardy

On the stone at the bottom [of this hill?]
are engraved the names
of all the teachers and pupils
killed at the Tardy School

An American's thoughts on the bombing of Saint-Etienne, France

Photography and web page by Dan Axtell
Photos taken July 1, 2002
www.danaxtell.com/france

Back to: Notes from Saint-Etienne 2002