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Exeter Times Advocate
New book keeps fl
ter pilot's memory alive
• ..
By Kate Monk .
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
CENTRALIA -- A new book will help
ensure the life of June Essery's broth-
er will be remembered.
Remy Chuinard's recently published
book Un ciel normand turbulent - >Jte
1944 includes a chapter on Essery's
brother, Don Newcombe, who died in
France during the Second World War.
On Aug. 29, June's family, including
her sister Arlene Newcombe and
brother Bill Newcombe from
Michigan, visited . with Chuinard at
June's home near Centralia.
The family's- relationship _w,ith`the
French author goes back to the early
1990s when June's son Rob Essery
was researching his uncle's death.
Chuinard was instrumental in helping
the family piece together the mystery
of Newcombe's death.
On July 11, 1944, First Lieutenant
Newcombe was shot down in his P-47
Thunderbolt near the 'French village,
of Trois-Monts, when he and other
planes in the 365th Fighter Group
were returning from a mission in poor
weather. The group was also called
the Hell Hawks and Newcombe, 23,
from Pontiac Mi. was part of the U.S.
9th Air Force.
Newcombe had been in the war for
more than a year when he was killed
and was scheduled to return home in
October 1944. He had flown over 60
missions and was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Newcombe's remains stayed in the
village for two years with everyone
believing he was a British pilot. But
after. being properly identified,.. his
body was laid to rest in the American
cemetery at Omaha Beach where
9,386 other service men are buried.
Bill said his family had no idea
Don's remains were at Trois-Monts.
"We only knew he was killed and
missing-," he explained. Only when
Don's body was identified did the
family find out what had happened
two years earlier.
In 1994, Rob and his wife Mary
Peterson travelled to Trois-Monts and
visited the site. where the plane was
shot down — a quiet horse pasture
with a - crater where the plane
crashed.
Chuinard, who was working on his
book at the time, arranged to have the
plaque erected in the village to honour
Newcombe and several family mem-
bers returned ,to Trois-Monts for a
ceremony in '96. A photo of
'Ie*combe is on the wall at the village
' office. Rob -said his family have been
-welcomed with open arms when
they've visited the village.
Following his '94 trip to France, Rob
told the T -A he didn't want his uncle's
life to be forgotten. - Chuinard's book
should help keep the memory alive.
"I'm very happen the book is going
to be published," Rob said on Aug. 29.
One thousand copies have been
printed in: French and Chuinard said
800 copies have - already been sold. In
April 2000, the book will be published
in North America in English with un-
expanded chapter on Newcombe. ' -' ;
The book focuses. on the 9th Air
Force and D -Day. -' :
"I have always been fascinated
thinking qiat so_ gran young mere left:
their' i:o nelan,d to .n ht and tor'
so
g
many to die for a land that was not
their - own," Chuinard said. "I believe
they should be honoured forever." -
June, Bill and Arlene agree
Chuinard's book brings .closure in
their quest to piece together the puz-
zle of their brother's death. -
"(We) can put it all together," June.
said.
•
Relatives of
First
Lieutenant
Dory
Newcombe
visit with
French
author
Remy h=,+
Chuinard at
the Essery
home near
Centralia.
Back row
from left,
Mary
Peterson,
Rob Essery,
Matt
Pickett,
Ruth Ann
Pickett and
June Essery.
Front from
left, Bill
Newcombe,
Remy
Chuinard
and Arlene
Newcombe.
•
A