A MEDIEVAL CHURCH IN NORMANDY WITH A STORY TO TELL

ANGOVILLE-AU-PLAIN CHURCH

     Recently, I came across an article about a medieval church that was used as a hospital during WWII. It was the same place that I visited on a D-Day tour many years ago. I've often thought about the fascinating story our tour guide shared with us that day and wished that I could remember the church's name and location. I'm glad to have finally found it.

Angoville-au-Plain (pop.53) is a small hamlet in Normandy, France. When intense fighting took place during the D-Day raids in June 1944, the Angoville-au-Plain church was quickly converted into a medical facility by two courageous US Medics, Robert E. Wright (1924-2013) and Kenneth J. Moore (1924-2014).

The young medics were 19 and 20 years old at the time and had very little training. They used nearby farm carts to pull the injured into the facility and cared for over 80 wounded soldiers including a dozen Germans, and one local infant. They had one strict rule that no weapons were allowed inside and showed neutrality by caring for everyone including the enemy. Supplies were limited and they worked day and night in the midst of the intense battle.

Today you can still enter this 12th-century church and observe bloodstains on the old wooden pews that were used as beds. There is a patched hole in the ceiling where a bomb fell through and miraculously didn't explode. Cracks remain on the flagstone floor where it landed. Two colorful stained glass windows have been added to commemorate the 101st Airborne.

Surprisingly, a few days after D-Day, two young enemy soldiers came down from their hiding place in the church belfry. They surrendered and then offered to help care for the wounded. Bob and Ken were grateful for the much-needed help and put them to work.

As is the case for most who have served in wars, the memories linger on. Bob Wright and Ken Moore returned to rediscover the place years later. Bob Wright asked to be buried in the church graveyard, however, it was denied because of French laws. His ashes were eventually smuggled into France and buried in the churchyard. There is a modest headstone at the site of his burial with the initials: R.E.W.

D-Day celebrations continue to be held annually in the tiny hamlet of Angoville-au-Plain. The 78^th D-Day Anniversary was held in the church on Saturday, June 4, 2022. It was followed by a ceremony to honor medics, Kenneth E. Wright and Robert J. Moore.

OMAHA BEACH