“Sassenay” a special song release for ANZAC Day

“Sassenay” a special song release for ANZAC Day

On August 15 1943, RNZAF Flight Lieutenant Royston Taylor, from Hastings New Zealand and RAAF Airman Warrant Officer John Henry DUGAN from Hamilton NSW Australia, took off in a Lancaster bomber on a mission to Milan. The flight crew of eight including airmen from England, Canada, Australia & New Zealand crashed in a field near Sassenay, France, after being attacked by a night fighter. The people of the small village were certain the crew sacrificed themselves, turning the plane up on its wing, costing their own lives to avoid crashing in the village. Also one of the villagers, 19 year old Gabriel Badet died when he was electrocuted by fallen wires, whilst running to rescue the men from the burning plane. So every year, on August 15th, the villagers hold a memorial service for Airman.

The French villagers showed their own bravery in 1943. When the German Soldiers took the dog tags off the airmen and handed the bodies of over to the priest to bury them. They were instructed to have no funeral. In a brave act of passive resistance, word was sent out and 2000 French Villagers, walked from over 20kms away, across the fields in the darkness. By the morning in the village of 300 stood morning stood 2000 at the little church in Sassenay, Saone et Loire and gave the men a funeral, against the wishes of the occupying German Soldiers. The Mayor who organised the funeral was jailed with 20 other locals by the Gestapo. While the brave French villagers held this funeral for complete strangers, the families of the airmen would not have known their boys were gone.

Recording artist Aly Cook was the first New Zealander to visit the grave of the men whilst on tour to Europe in 2011, Aly became aware of almost forgotten story after attending a media press conference related to the nearby festival she was performing at.

In 1985 a monument was erected at the site of the crash and all the airforce representatives came to acknowledge the people of Sassenay and honor the men. New Zealand had declined to attend, as this was the same time the French Naval Agents had bombed the Greenpeace vessel The Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbour. French/New Zealand relations were strained at this time. The people of Sassenay asked Aly if she could change that after 26 years and have the RNZAF and New Zealand Government recognise the monument.

ENDS

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