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- Our first Christmas in France - 25 December 1954.
The clothing on the tree was all hand-stitched by my mom and I remember that Christmas well. In fact, I still have a small mechanical "Santa" which I take out every year at Christmas - one of my gifts from this Christmas.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- (L-R) Heather and Hilda Hay at the base of the Christmas tree in Metz - 24 December 1954.
Shopping on Christmas Eve was a lot of fun for a four year old.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- Shopping at the marketplace in Metz France - 24 December 1954.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- (L-R) The Berniers (with their infant son) and the McNeills in Faulquemont - November 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- The main entrance to the Strasbourg Cathedral - October 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- (L-R) Clairette and Lucien Fanconier (owners of the store Clairette de Paris), Jacqueline Nadeau - October 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- A village fete in Faulquemont - October 1954.
The merry-go-round with its magical caliope music along with the sounds and smells of the barley-sugar suckers.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- The Mahmoud family home in Faulquemont - October 1954.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- Miracle in St. Avold - 6 September 1954.
Labour Day week-end. A terrible accident happened to me on the road out to St. Avold. The photo shows all that remains of my 1954 German Ford Tanus when a truck swerved off his course to pass a bicycle - the effect of which sent me into a tree. You can see the fenders embraced the tree and the motor was nearly in the back seat. Results: broken femur, tibia, ankles, jaw, and multiple lacerations. Six months in the hospital at Landhtuhl and Wiesbaden.
Courtesy Johnny Vigneault.
- We rented two rooms in this house, located in Guessling, from September 1954 until our PMQ was ready in 1955 - September 1954.
The rest of the story.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- The view from our front window furthest away from the steps - September 1954.
We lived in this room and one behind it which had a view of the potato field going back into the woods.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- (L-R) Rejeanne Bernier and Louise McNeill sporting maternity clothing beside the "Hotel du Nord" in Faulquemont - September 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- Claude and Rejeanne Bernier with Auguste Tarillion down the street from the "Hotel du Nord" in Faulquemont - September 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- American Military Cemetery at St. Avold - September 1954.
Courtesy Larry Bodnar.
- The Francois family (our landlords) in Guessling - September 1954.
The rest of the story.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- Postcard photo of Guessling where we lived until PMQ's were ready to be occupied - August 1954.
The arrow marks the location where the Francois family (our landlords) lived in Guessling.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- The main street in Hemering - August 1954.
It was customary to mention the bullet holes in the walls.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- A French farmer in an unidentified location near the station - August 1954.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- Postcard photo at Courseuilles-Chaussy which was half way between St. Avold and Metz. The old Chateau of the last German Kaiser was converted into an Agricultural College - August 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard photo of "La Porte des Allemands" in Metz. Many RCAF personnel have driven through this massive construction - August 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard aerial photo of the old Cathedral in Metz. This was well worth visiting - August 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard photo of "la Gare" in Metz. There were many restaurants and other facilities ib this complex. The strangest, however, was the restrooms, where in the early 1950s, whenever you had to use them, a janitor would unroll a yeard of tissue and hand it to customer as none was kept in the stalls - August 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard aerial photo of "la Place de la Republique" where a very large underground parking garage presently exists - August 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard aerial view of the Moselle River with the temple at the junction - August 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- This parade through the village with the Queen for the day was in celebration of France's 14th July - 14 July 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard photo of the floral clock at Nancy. It did work - July 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard photo of "La Fontaine d'amphitrite" in Nancy which was the capital city of Lorraine - July 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard street scenes of Nancy - July 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard photo of the "Place Stanislas" in Nancy - July 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Postcard photo of the "Place Stanislas" and the "Arc of Triumph" in Nancy - July 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- An outing in the Mulhouse region of sothern Alsace - July 1954.
(L-R) My 1954 German Ford Taunus, Johnny & Nina Vigneault, Rita, LAC Moe Blais' wife from Amsterdam and Rita's brother, visiting from Amsterdam.
Courtesy Johnny Vigneault.
- An outing in Nancy where we stopped at a small fair - July 1954.
(L-R) Unidentified 416 Squadron airman, unidentified airwoman, unidentified airwoman, unidentified 416 Squadron airman, Johnny & Nina Vigneault.
Courtesy Johnny Vigneault.
- A picnic in the Vosges region south of Nancy - July 1954.
Bread, wine and what more can you ask for? (L-R) Rita Blais and Nina Vigneault.
Courtesy Johnny Vigneault.
- This fuel bowser was full of jet fuel at the stop in front of the "Hotel du Nord" when it caught fire - 21 June 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- A closer view of the fuel bowser after the accident - 21 June 1954.
The rest of the story.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- A crane is used to lift the bowser onto a flatbed truck - 21 June 1954.
Courtesy Cy "Woody" Wood.
- A crane is used to lift the bowser onto a flatbed truck - 21 June 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- Removal of the bowser by flatbed truck - 21 June 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- Main intersection of Routes D24 and D79 on the outskirts of Hemering - June 1954.
Turn right towards the airfield and the village of Grostenquin or continue straight ahead for Lelling and St. Avold.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- Entrance to the village of Lelling on Route D24 coming from the airfield - June 1954.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- The main street in Lixing - June 1954.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- The remains of a pub, in Lixing, which had been bombed during World War II - June 1954.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- (L-R) Claude and Rejeanne Bernier with Louise and Jim McNeill in Faulquemont - May 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
- Checking out the "Motorbike" in Hemering - May 1954.
Courtesy Larry Bodnar.
- Driving through a small town. Note the manure piles - May 1954.
Courtesy Ernie Supple.
- American Military Cemetery at St. Avold - May 1954.
Courtesy Ernie Supple.
- Unidentified personnel at Ma Hemerings which was considered as the "local watering hole" - May 1954.
Courtesy Richard Frampton.
- AS Tech Mason, wearing my jacket, and opening a bottle of cheap champagne - May 1954.
Courtesy Richard Frampton.
- The Proprietor "Ma" of "Ma Hemerings" - May 1954.
Courtesy Richard Frampton.
- Doc Hansen wearing my jacket while in Metz - May 1954.
Courtesy Richard Frampton.
- Crossing the frontier between Saarland and Germany - May 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- Another view of the border crossing - May 1954.
Courtesy Jacques Nadeau.
- WO Dave Lefebvre and his wife Irene in Amos - May 1954.
The rest of the story.
Courtesy Heather Hay.
- Ma Hemering's cafe in Hemering - May 1954.
Note the bullet holes in the walls as a reminder of the war.
Courtesy Joan Burford (now Cruickshank).
- My mother (Jean Burford) is sitting in our Opel in Hemering - May 1954.
Courtesy Joan Burford (now Cruickshank).
- Downtown St. Avold - April 1954.
Courtesy Ron Turvey.
- Unidentified roadway - April 1954.
Courtesy Ron Turvey.
- The village of Freybouse - April 1954.
Courtesy Ron Turvey.
- The nearby town of Hemering - April 1954.
The rest of the story.
Courtesy Buster Brown and Don Norrie.
- Rejeanne Bernier standing by road sign in Faulquemont - January 1954.
Courtesy Claude Bernier.
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