1 Wing Miscellaneous

The Ossuary at St Hilaire

Ossuary (Charnel House)

Merrian-Webster: Ossuary - a depository for the bones of the dead.
Funk & Wagnell: Charnel House - a place where dead bodies or bones are laid.

Comments by John Palmer - Beyond the fortified town of Marville, is a hill with, at its foot, a gothic cross. Two roads lead up to the hill summit; a winding, metalled road, the other being an ancient straight death road, embanked like a hollow road and lined with trees. This leads to the cemetery of Saint Hilaire with a 12th century church at its centre. All about there are sculptured gravestones, including a number carved during the 15th century. In one corner is an ossuary in which are stacked some 40,000 skulls, some of these are enclosed in a wooden case, in which there is an opening, so that the skulls, which are called "horloges de mort", can be seen. Above them in Olde French is the undeniable claim "As you are I was once, as I am you will be".


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  1. Interior photo of the Ossuary - 29 May 2004.
    Courtesy Steve Bolton.

  2. Assorted photos of the Monument and the Grave Marker ceremony at St. Hilaire - 31 August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  3. Aerial photo of Marville - 23 August 2003
    The cemetery at St. Hilaire is on the left surrounded by trees.
    Courtesy of Andy Little.

  4. The cemetery at St. Hilaire - 23 August 2003
    The church is in the center and the Ossuary is the building to the left.
    Courtesy of Andy Little.

  5. Route N-43 road sign near the junction that leads to St. Hilaire - 16 August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  6. Road sign indicating the direction to the cemetery at St Hilaire - 16 August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  7. Closer image of the previous photo - 16 August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  8. Road sign indicating the direction to the cemetery at St Hilaire - 15 August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  9. The cemetery at St. Hilaire is across the road from Marville, on a higher hill - August 2003.
    This picture was taken on the road to the cemetery looking across at the village of Marville.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  10. Diagram of the cemetery at St. Hilaire - August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  11. Assorted photos of the church and grave markers at St. Hilaire - August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  12. Assorted photos of the exterior of the Ossuary building - August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  13. Assorted photos of the interior of the Ossuary at St. Hilaire - August 2003.
    Courtesy Andy Little.

  14. Interior photo of the Ossuary - September 1975.
    Courtesy Dick Dinelle.

    RCAF Station Marville is closed in 1967

  15. Saint Hilaire Cemetery - 31 January 1965
    Extract from Vol 5 No 2 Arrowhead Tribune.
    Courtesy Mike Bitten.

  16. Grave markers at the St. Hilaire cemetery - May 1964.
    Courtesy Andy DeGaust.

  17. A sign in the village of Marville - October 1962.
    Courtesy Winston Fisher.

  18. Interior photo of the Ossuary - September 1959.
    Courtesy William Lynn.

  19. The cemetery at St. Hilaire - September 1956.
    Courtesy Cal Shermerhorn.

  20. Interior photo of the Ossuary - September 1956.
    Courtesy Cal Shermerhorn.

  21. Interior photo of the Ossuary - September 1956.
    Courtesy Cal Shermerhorn.

  22. Interior photo of the Ossuary - September 1956.
    Extract from the September 1956 issue of Tailpipe magazine.
    Courtesy Cal Shermerhorn.

  23. Interior photo of the Ossuary - August 1955.
    Courtesy Paul Martin.

  24. Interior photo of the Ossuary - August 1955.
    Courtesy Paul Martin.

  25. RCAF visitors at the Ossuary - August 1955.
    (L-R) Paul Davidson and Johnny Johnson (deceased).
    Courtesy Paul Martin.

  26. Grave markers at the St. Hilaire cemetery - May 1955.
    Courtesy Frank "Buzz" Moran.


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Updated: June 23, 2005