The Bombardment of May 26, 1944

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 S^t 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