A British Memorial
We are delighted to announce that the permanent memorial to the 97 soldiers who lost their lives at Le Paradis is now in place in Norwich Cathedral Close.
A short dedication service was held on May 27th, 2021 - the 81st anniversary of the massacre. This was followed on July 14th, 2021 by a further service attended by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal who laid a wreath to the memory of the 97.
In April 2022 a special evensong service was held in Norwich Cathedral attended by many dignitaries and descendants of those who died in the massacre.
A short dedication service was held on May 27th, 2021 - the 81st anniversary of the massacre. This was followed on July 14th, 2021 by a further service attended by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal who laid a wreath to the memory of the 97.
In April 2022 a special evensong service was held in Norwich Cathedral attended by many dignitaries and descendants of those who died in the massacre.
We are delighted to report that a permanent memorial to the memory of the 97 men who lost their lives at Le Paradis is now in place in Norwich Cathedral Close.
The memorial is pictured opposite and was officially dedicated on May 27th, 2021, the 81st anniversary of the massacre.
A memorial appeal was launched in April, 2019, when discussions began with The Dean and Chapter of Norwich (Anglican) Cathedral for a Portland Stone memorial in the immediate vicinity of St Saviour’s Chapel, the Regimental Chapel of The Royal Norfolk Regiment.
The Cathedral authorities subsequently approved the design and detail of the monument and passed it to the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England for their consideration.
That Commission approved the application for a Portland Stone memorial to be placed in the South East bay of St Saviour’s Chapel. Coming less than one week after the 80th anniversary of the massacre, the timing of this announcement has added poignancy. The Appeal, working with the Cathedral, then moved into the creation and installation phases of the project.
Brigadier Max Marriner CBE liaised with the Cathedral on behalf of Le Paradis Memorial Appeal. He said “There are many people we would wish to thank for this success: our supporters, donors, creative and technical advisors and, crucially, the excellent support given to this project by the Dean and her Team at Norwich Cathedral.”
Dennis O’Callaghan, son of massacre survivor Bill O’Callaghan, said “This is an ideal location for the memorial and at last families will not have to travel to France to pay their respects.” He added “This decision means that the horrific price paid by 97 British soldiers, and 97 British families, will finally have deserved recognition in Norfolk and my father would have been immensely proud”.
You can also read coverage of this from the Eastern Daily Press Newspaper by clicking here.
We have a new gallery of photographs on the memorial from its preparation to its dedication. To see this click here. You can also view photographs taken at the dedication services by clicking here.
The memorial has the following wording:
To the memory of the 97 soldiers who died in the massacre on 27th May 1940 at Le Paradis Northern France.
The soldiers were drawn from 2nd Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1st Battalion the Royal Scots and other British expeditionary force units.
You can find it in a bay close to the west door of Norwich Cathedral and near the memorial to Edith Cavell.
The memorial is pictured opposite and was officially dedicated on May 27th, 2021, the 81st anniversary of the massacre.
A memorial appeal was launched in April, 2019, when discussions began with The Dean and Chapter of Norwich (Anglican) Cathedral for a Portland Stone memorial in the immediate vicinity of St Saviour’s Chapel, the Regimental Chapel of The Royal Norfolk Regiment.
The Cathedral authorities subsequently approved the design and detail of the monument and passed it to the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England for their consideration.
That Commission approved the application for a Portland Stone memorial to be placed in the South East bay of St Saviour’s Chapel. Coming less than one week after the 80th anniversary of the massacre, the timing of this announcement has added poignancy. The Appeal, working with the Cathedral, then moved into the creation and installation phases of the project.
Brigadier Max Marriner CBE liaised with the Cathedral on behalf of Le Paradis Memorial Appeal. He said “There are many people we would wish to thank for this success: our supporters, donors, creative and technical advisors and, crucially, the excellent support given to this project by the Dean and her Team at Norwich Cathedral.”
Dennis O’Callaghan, son of massacre survivor Bill O’Callaghan, said “This is an ideal location for the memorial and at last families will not have to travel to France to pay their respects.” He added “This decision means that the horrific price paid by 97 British soldiers, and 97 British families, will finally have deserved recognition in Norfolk and my father would have been immensely proud”.
You can also read coverage of this from the Eastern Daily Press Newspaper by clicking here.
We have a new gallery of photographs on the memorial from its preparation to its dedication. To see this click here. You can also view photographs taken at the dedication services by clicking here.
The memorial has the following wording:
To the memory of the 97 soldiers who died in the massacre on 27th May 1940 at Le Paradis Northern France.
The soldiers were drawn from 2nd Battalion the Royal Norfolk Regiment, 1st Battalion the Royal Scots and other British expeditionary force units.
You can find it in a bay close to the west door of Norwich Cathedral and near the memorial to Edith Cavell.
Dennis O’Callaghan has produced a commemorative booklet for the 80th anniversary. As the son of one of the two survivors, he is well placed for this task. The booklet contains details of the massacre and many photographs, including some of the most poignant ever seen. The booklets are on sale, with net proceeds (after costs) going to the Le Paradis Commemoration Group, to help preserve for posterity the detailed archive of the massacre on this site.
The cover artwork (left) is from the picture in the office of the Mayor of Lestrem (the administrative centre for Le Paradis). Only a limited number of booklets are for sale. They are priced from £10. To buy a copy and support the Commemoration Group please email [email protected]
The cover artwork (left) is from the picture in the office of the Mayor of Lestrem (the administrative centre for Le Paradis). Only a limited number of booklets are for sale. They are priced from £10. To buy a copy and support the Commemoration Group please email [email protected]
Coverage of the Campaign on the Internet
Report of Memorial Launch Event
Minutes of Inaugural Memorial Launch Meeting
Report of Memorial Launch Event
Minutes of Inaugural Memorial Launch Meeting
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Below are previous articles on the British memorial.
Support The Campaign for A Memorial in Norfolk to the heroes of Le Paradis.
The Le Paradis Commemoration Group is supporting a campaign to have a memorial to the 97 who died in the massacre. The campaign is being led by enthusiast Rob Edwards and has the support of many high profile Norfolk people including those listed at the bottom of this page.
Rob is looking for people to become founder members of the Le Paradis Memorial Support Group. If you are interested in joining our attempts to have a lasting memorial to the men who died please fill in the form which can be accessed by clicking here. The form has details of how and where to return it.
In the meantime the information below from Rob Edwards may answer some of your questions.
______________________________________________________________________________
Why is there no memorial in Norfolk to the sacrifice of these Dunkirk heroes?
The successful evacuation of more than 300,000 troops from Dunkirk in May, 1940, was the cornerstone of our eventual victory in World War Two. It was made possible by the selfless defence of the Dunkirk perimeter by troops who knew they would not be rescued. One battlefield centred on the villages of Le Paradis and Lestrem. Here, detachments from the Royal Norfolks and the Royal Scots and other regiments fought the enemy to a standstill, inflicting heavy losses. They surrendered only when they ran out of ammunition. As Prisoner of War they were entitled to all the protection of the Geneva Convention. Instead they were massacred by their Waffen SS opponents, machine gunned to the ground and finished off with pistols and bayonets – now known as the Le Paradis Massacre.
The fight for justice
Ninety-seven died, the majority from the Royal Norfolks. However, against all odds, two survived and led the successful post-war campaign to bring to justice the officer responsible for the massacre. He was found guilty of war crimes and executed in 1949. The massacre, the courage and the sacrifice are still remembered by the French and there are several memorials in Le Paradis and Lestrem to those who died. However, there is no permanent memorial in Norfolk or anywhere else in the United Kingdom to these heroes. We need to do something about this.
Support our campaign for a memorial in Norfolk
What can you do to help? Let us use your name. Use the form below to add your name to the roll call of Founding Supporters. This will be used in all our events to support our campaign, the first of which is our launch event on Tuesday 27th November, 2018, at Holiday Inn, Norwich Airport at 7.30 pm. You are invited to attend or to send a representative. The media will be invited so a big turnout would be beneficial.
The consent form and full contact details are available by clicking here.
Yours sincerely
Rob Edwards
(Also on behalf of: Dennis O’Callaghan, John Head, Nick Smith and Peter Steward – the Founders of the Le Paradis Commemoration Group).
Fill In The Campaign Support Form by clicking here
Support The Campaign for A Memorial in Norfolk to the heroes of Le Paradis.
The Le Paradis Commemoration Group is supporting a campaign to have a memorial to the 97 who died in the massacre. The campaign is being led by enthusiast Rob Edwards and has the support of many high profile Norfolk people including those listed at the bottom of this page.
Rob is looking for people to become founder members of the Le Paradis Memorial Support Group. If you are interested in joining our attempts to have a lasting memorial to the men who died please fill in the form which can be accessed by clicking here. The form has details of how and where to return it.
In the meantime the information below from Rob Edwards may answer some of your questions.
______________________________________________________________________________
Why is there no memorial in Norfolk to the sacrifice of these Dunkirk heroes?
The successful evacuation of more than 300,000 troops from Dunkirk in May, 1940, was the cornerstone of our eventual victory in World War Two. It was made possible by the selfless defence of the Dunkirk perimeter by troops who knew they would not be rescued. One battlefield centred on the villages of Le Paradis and Lestrem. Here, detachments from the Royal Norfolks and the Royal Scots and other regiments fought the enemy to a standstill, inflicting heavy losses. They surrendered only when they ran out of ammunition. As Prisoner of War they were entitled to all the protection of the Geneva Convention. Instead they were massacred by their Waffen SS opponents, machine gunned to the ground and finished off with pistols and bayonets – now known as the Le Paradis Massacre.
The fight for justice
Ninety-seven died, the majority from the Royal Norfolks. However, against all odds, two survived and led the successful post-war campaign to bring to justice the officer responsible for the massacre. He was found guilty of war crimes and executed in 1949. The massacre, the courage and the sacrifice are still remembered by the French and there are several memorials in Le Paradis and Lestrem to those who died. However, there is no permanent memorial in Norfolk or anywhere else in the United Kingdom to these heroes. We need to do something about this.
Support our campaign for a memorial in Norfolk
What can you do to help? Let us use your name. Use the form below to add your name to the roll call of Founding Supporters. This will be used in all our events to support our campaign, the first of which is our launch event on Tuesday 27th November, 2018, at Holiday Inn, Norwich Airport at 7.30 pm. You are invited to attend or to send a representative. The media will be invited so a big turnout would be beneficial.
The consent form and full contact details are available by clicking here.
Yours sincerely
Rob Edwards
(Also on behalf of: Dennis O’Callaghan, John Head, Nick Smith and Peter Steward – the Founders of the Le Paradis Commemoration Group).
Fill In The Campaign Support Form by clicking here
List of Supporters
