Photograph of the pillbox just after the accidental explosion of July 7, 1944
Mack HOMER Memorial
The 364 th E.G.S.R. on 7.7.1944 at Crisbecq
Mack HOMER
Mack Homer before the Landing
On June 4, 2021, during cleaning work of the Great Casemate, the SIMMONS Henry's Dog Tag was found in the rubble of the pillbox
It was during the cleaning work of the Grande Casemate (with a view to the creation of the memorial of the 4th ID in Crisbecq) that an improbable discovery was made and revealed a completely different story. unknown, also occurred in this Crisbecq pillbox.
By scratching the rubble a dog tag appeared in the light. Sheltered from bad weather inside the bunker for 78 years, it was in excellent condition and perfectly legible.
It made it possible to very quickly identify the soldier and his unit thanks to the archives of the American army.
Simmons' name was associated with that of 7 other American soldiers accidentally killed in Normandy on July 7, 1944
Given the violence of the explosion, out of the 8 soldiers of the 364 th killed in this explosion and 4 of them had never been found.
Following an error in the writing of the accident report on july 1944, their death had been located in Fontenay sur mer instead of Crisbecq and their trace was forever disappeared for the US Army (D.P.A.A).
It is therefore by pure chance that this story reappeared 77 years later. A commemorative plaque was placed at the scene of their death in July 2021.
June 4, 2021, discovered inside the large pillbox Crisbecq of the SIMMONS HENRY's Dog Tag , American soldier MIA in Normandy July 7, 1944
S. Henry and several other Engineer soldiers had been reported missing but the precise location of their accidental death could never be determined due to a violent explosion.
It was therefore in this dynamited pillbox that this accident had occurred
Plaque in memory of the disappeared from Crisbecq
The discovery of Simmons's dog tag has allowed us to know this story of the 8 missing of Fontenay.
Unfortunately the photo of Simmons remains a mystery to us.
Only the photo of Mack Homer is known. We were able to bring it back to life on this historic site through a commemorative plaque placed on July 27, 2021.
And schortly after, an other discovery !!!
But the story did not end there, after the summer during the cleaning of the bunker before winter, a second Dog Tag was found on October 19, 2021
But the story did not end there, after the summer during the cleaning of the pillbox before winter, the Mack HOMER Dog Tag was found on October 19, 2021
Less than 4 meters from the first Dog Tag that of a second soldier Dog Tag was found in the same conditions
Wall of the disappeared of the American cemetery
of Colleville sur Mer
In USA H. Simmons, M. Homer and two other of their comrades are still considered MIA and the place of their accidental death remains a mystery, "Fontenay sur Mer" having been noted by mistake in 1944.
MACK HOMER dog tag
The Mack Homer dog tag, discovered on october 19, 2021
Ring found just after, engraved with the initials "M.H."
Mack Homer ring ?
Returned to the D.P.A.A on April 2, 2023
Mack and Henry are now together again for eternity
D.P.A.A. research on 2023
Following these discoveries, an archaeological investigation campaign was carried out by the American army from April 1 to 5, 2023 in order to recover the remains of the bodies found.
These can thus be analyzed and identified by the D.P.A.A.
In April 2023 the US Army launched its own research
In April 2023 the D.P.A.A. sent a research team to the site of the Great casemate of Crisbecq.
This research proved to be very fruitful for the American army, which was able to recover many remains.
Following the usual procedure of the D.P.A.A. these will be analyzed with modern methods which should allow a possible identification of the soldiers still wanted and missing since July 7, 1944.
Daniel Wyatt (M.I.A)
Hope Daniel Wyatt's family can be found.
From our information on Daniel's family in 1944 we were able to trace the address of these houses in
Louisiana.
Unfortunately, no one today knows the Wyatt family in the city whose name could be found thanks to the indications left in Normandie by Daniel.
Daniel may have played here as a child. No one will know...
Sylvester Haggins (M.I.A)
No information at this stage on Sylvester, also missing in the Great casemate of
Crisbecq
Destruction of the Casemate
Photograph of the pillbox after the accidental explosion of July 7, 1944 which caused the death of 8 American soldiers of the 364 th Engineer General Service Regiment
This bunker will now remain their grave
Who knows what still remains under this collapsed part since 1944 ????