Choloy, France

1967 – 1 Wing - Assorted Sources

Comments by Roger Cyr:

The detail about "Red" Heasman brought back memories that I had forgotten. His name was Wayne Heasman and he was from Gladstone, Manitoba. Gladstone is on the Yellow Head highway (Highway 16) and is situated just west of Portage la Prairie on the corner of Highway 34 which goes all the way south to the US border.

Wayne worked with me when I was one of the ice makers at the curling club at Marville. He was to go to Lahr with the advance party as mentioned above. He never made it and it was an accident that should not have happened.

Wayne rode a 650 Triumph Trophy Motorcycle which he had purchased in England. At the time a 650 was a big bike. I hope to have Wayne's full name for the record before too long.

Additional Comments by Roger Cyr: (29 June 2004)

While on a trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands in BC, I followed the secondary roads through North Dakota, just south of the Canadian border. When I reached highway #10 I crossed back into Canada and took #34 north to the Yellowhead. We arrived in Gladstone at nine thirty in the morning in search of a Laundromat. We found the Laundromat but it was closed although the sign in the window indicated it opened at 9 AM. The post office was near by and we enquired there as to the promptness of the owner. I also enquired if they knew of a man by the name of "Wayne Heasman" who was from Gladstone, or his relatives. No one in this town by that name I was informed. Just as we were about to take our leave the postmaster said the mayor was in the parking lot and she perhaps knew of his family as she had lived here for fifty years.

She entered and I introduced myself and enquired if she knew Wayne Heasman. "He was my cousin" she said, as her eyes grew wide and filled with tears. She grasped my arm as to steady herself and asked why I was looking for him as he had been dead many years. I was in Marvile, France when he died I said. She began to cry and said, "I knew that someday someone from the Air Force would come and see us"!! To make this long story even longer, I met with her at her home and she loaned me pictures of Wayne and his parents. The word spread fast that strangers from the east were in town and pick-up trucks began arriving at the mayors house with friends of Wayne's. You get the picture I am sure. It was nearing three o'clock by the time I got on the road again. Even today after all these years the town of Gladstone, Manitoba remembers "William John Wayne Heasman".

I cannot get it out of my mind - the reception I received from the citizens of Gladstone and how pleased they were that after all these years someone from the RCAF would visit their town with information on who was a favourite and well thought of citizen. I found that his friends called him "carrot top".!