Memorials to the Massacre
See also our section on the attempts to have a permanent memorial to the 97 in Norfolk. You can view this by clicking here.
It is with regret that we announce the death of Claud Dufour - owner of the barn and a big supporter of the annual remembrance services at Le Paradis. Claud allowed a ceremony to take place annually on his land for which we will be eternally grateful.
Over the years a number of memorials to the massacre have been put up both in France and the United Kingdom. We will feature as many of these as possible in this section of the site:
In 1970 the above plaque was placed on the battle-scarred wall of the barn where the massacre took place. It is in French and English. The French reads:
Cette plaque commemore les quatre vingt dix sept soldats du Royal Norfolk et d'autres regiments qui furent massacres a cet endroit le 27 Mai 1940
Que leur sacrifice ne soit pas vain
For which the English translations is:
This plaque commemorates the ninety seven all ranks of the Royal Norfolk and other regiments who were massacred at this spot on 27th May 1940.
May their sacrifice be not in vain.
Cette plaque commemore les quatre vingt dix sept soldats du Royal Norfolk et d'autres regiments qui furent massacres a cet endroit le 27 Mai 1940
Que leur sacrifice ne soit pas vain
For which the English translations is:
This plaque commemorates the ninety seven all ranks of the Royal Norfolk and other regiments who were massacred at this spot on 27th May 1940.
May their sacrifice be not in vain.
A second memorial (pictured above) was erected in 1978 in Le Paradis with the following wording:
Dans ce village le 27 Mai 1940, 97 membres de L'Expedition de L'Armee Britanique ont ete massacres. Ce memorial est erige pour commemorer cette tragedie par L'Association des Veterans de Dunkerque, lurs amis et les deux survivants
In this village on May 27th 1940, 97 members of the British Expeditionary Force were massacred. This Memorial is erected by the Dunkirk Veterans' Association and their friends to commemorate the tragedy and its two survivors.
The memorial was erected by the Norfolk and Norwich Branch of the 1940 Dunkirk Veterans' Association, on a site generously donated by the Commune of Lestrem in which the village of Paradis is situated.
The memorial is near Le Paradis Church and adjacent to the local war memorial. The memorial is made of Moonstone and stands two metres high with the inscription in both English and French. It was made by craftsman Ives Naels. It was the last wish of Bill O'Callaghan that his comrades be remembered by a fitting and prominent memorial.
Dans ce village le 27 Mai 1940, 97 membres de L'Expedition de L'Armee Britanique ont ete massacres. Ce memorial est erige pour commemorer cette tragedie par L'Association des Veterans de Dunkerque, lurs amis et les deux survivants
In this village on May 27th 1940, 97 members of the British Expeditionary Force were massacred. This Memorial is erected by the Dunkirk Veterans' Association and their friends to commemorate the tragedy and its two survivors.
The memorial was erected by the Norfolk and Norwich Branch of the 1940 Dunkirk Veterans' Association, on a site generously donated by the Commune of Lestrem in which the village of Paradis is situated.
The memorial is near Le Paradis Church and adjacent to the local war memorial. The memorial is made of Moonstone and stands two metres high with the inscription in both English and French. It was made by craftsman Ives Naels. It was the last wish of Bill O'Callaghan that his comrades be remembered by a fitting and prominent memorial.
A third memorial (pictured above) was erected in 1991 as the original memorial on the barn is on private land. The land owner generously gives access to the barn on or about the anniversary of the massacre in order that a commemoration service can take place.
There is also a memorial plaque (pictured above) to Bill O'Callaghan in his home town of Dereham, Norfolk. This is on the wall of William O'Callaghan Place, a sheltered accommodation complex named after him, at the entrance to Old Becclesgate and reads as follows:
In memory of William O'Callaghan a brave son of Dereham survivor of the massacre Le Paradis France, May 1940 placed by his comrades of the Norfolk and Norwich Dunkirk Veterans Association.
In memory of William O'Callaghan a brave son of Dereham survivor of the massacre Le Paradis France, May 1940 placed by his comrades of the Norfolk and Norwich Dunkirk Veterans Association.
The image above shows Bill's son Dennis next to the sign for William O'Callaghan Place.
Le Paradis Memorial Brochure - May 1978
In 1978 a special brochure was produced by the Dunkirk Veterans' Association in respect of the commissioning of the memorial in front of the barn owing to the existing memorial being on private land. The brochure is reproduced below. To fully enlarge each image go to our miscellaneous documents section by clicking here.
The photograph above is of Walter Loynes, "Pedlar" Palmer and Bob Brown in front of the memorial to the 97 at Le Paradis Church (photograph courtesy of Bob Brown).
We are grateful to Bob Brown and his daughter, Vivienne Roberts, for forwarding this ‘Memorial’ photograph to us together with their comments.
The photograph was taken at a later date from the unveiling of the Memorial in 1978. Pedlar’s real name was Horacio but he was also known as Ron.
Bob and ‘Pedlar’ met at the barracks when they joined up in 1938. They were both signallers and were together until the fighting in France when signallers were divided up and sent to different companies, Ron being sent to D company.
Vivienne knew ‘Pedlar’ as a child from the times when her dad (Bob) would take her to the Drill Hall. It was there Vivienne would practice the semaphore she had to learn in the Brownies on them.
Bob Brown didn’t know Walter, who lived in Swainsthorpe, until they met at the Dunkirk Veterans Association.
We are grateful to Bob Brown and his daughter, Vivienne Roberts, for forwarding this ‘Memorial’ photograph to us together with their comments.
The photograph was taken at a later date from the unveiling of the Memorial in 1978. Pedlar’s real name was Horacio but he was also known as Ron.
Bob and ‘Pedlar’ met at the barracks when they joined up in 1938. They were both signallers and were together until the fighting in France when signallers were divided up and sent to different companies, Ron being sent to D company.
Vivienne knew ‘Pedlar’ as a child from the times when her dad (Bob) would take her to the Drill Hall. It was there Vivienne would practice the semaphore she had to learn in the Brownies on them.
Bob Brown didn’t know Walter, who lived in Swainsthorpe, until they met at the Dunkirk Veterans Association.
Above is a new memorial which was unveiled in Lestrem on 10th November 2018 and below a copy of the French invite to the event. Below this is a gallery of the commemoration event in November 2018.
Above are photographs taken from the unveiling of the new memorial at Lestrem in November 2018. Top row includes Deputy Mayor of Lestrem Philippe Brouteele, Mayor Jacques Hurlus, Ralston Ryder and Colonel Andy McDowall of the Royal Scots Regiment. Row Two - The unveiling of the flag with Jacques Hurlus and Ralston Ryder. Third Row Colonel McDowall lays a wreath on behalf of the Royal Scots. Other pictures are of the reception and speeches including speeches made by the designer and painter, Jacque Hurlus and Colonel McDowall.
Photographs courtesy of Philippe Brouteele and Ralston Ryder.
Photographs courtesy of Philippe Brouteele and Ralston Ryder.
The Commissioning of the Memorial to Bill O'Callaghan - 25th May, 1989 - photographs from the Bob Brown collection and reproduced with kind permission of Bob and his family.
On the left - Dennis and Heather O'Callaghan with Bob Brown (with medals) in attendance. Bob gave the tribute to Bill O'Callaghan. Middle - Ernie Leggett plays the Last Post and right - the unveiling of the memorial.
A Special Piece of Artwork
