CLEVELAND 1945 REUNION - I
WAS THERE!
By Jack Pearson
(Written in both drunk and
sober moments)
[and reproduced with minimal correction]
“This reunion is brought to you by the courtesy of the Gauloise Tobacco Company…”
Those words might have been fitting openers for the Escadrille Soixante-Neuf’s first annual reunion at Cleveland on august the 12-13-14 last. They would have been fitting because it was none other than Bill Brayley, one of the old GTC founders, who laid the ground work, the framework and everything else that went into making the Cleveland affair a roaring (drunk) success.
First arrivals in the fair Ohio city had scarcely dropped their bags in the lobby of the Hotel Cleveland when they spied a smartly-worded, snappy placard calling attention to the fact that headquarters for the Escadrille Soixante-Neuf reunion were in Suite 4a-1 and 2. Inquiring at the desk, they found that all arrangements had been made, that rooms would be immediately available, and that they were to proceed to the reunion suite.
The writer, scenting a party, followed instructions to the letter and found himself accepting a very smooth glassful of Imperial Canadian Rye from the hand of none other than Monsieur Brayley. Already on hand and looking a bit worse for wear after three days in Clevelands night-spots was Gordon Claytor. Unfortunatley Claytor had to be back at his desk at the Dyorsburg, Tonn., air base to aid his C.O. in arrangements for the expected V-J Day. Claytor disclosed that he had planned to discharge immediately. Usually reliable sources reported after Claytor’s departure that in actuality he was hurrying back to cover up the fact that he’d been a.w.o.l. three days. At any rate, he left before Harrell and Allen had gotton down to any serious drinking.
The reference to Harrell and Allen pertains to Lts. Max Harrell and Ed Allen, two good k.p.’s who also claim to be fighter pilots. They arrived drunk, stayed drunk, and left drunk. Allen made regular and frequent denials that the woman he had with him was his grandmother.
Canada out-represented the United States 11-10 at the reunion, but it wasn’t because “Lucky” Weseloh and his Californian buddy Joe Johnson hadn’t tried. Weseloh arrived from the sunny state sporting a bejeweled earing and a huge blue enamel badge which advertised him as a member of the Eighth Air Force. Johnson’s three decks of ribbons (248 points) led many good Clevelanders to believe he had won the war single-handedly and he drew many enthusiastic cheers when V.J. Day finally mad it under the wire to coincide with the Escadrille’s reunion. Both Johnson and Weseloh granted interviews to the Cleveland papers.
Sam Taylor was all smiles when informed Brayley had arranged no less than three formal dinners, complete with wine and at least three slices of bread per man. The Escadrille waited breathlessly the telegram which would have told Sam he was a father, but the event was delayed but unforeseen circumstances, and daddy Taylor departed Cleveland with his fingers still crossed.
There weren’t many who survived the hot sun and the paralyzing effects of bottled delight the afternoon of the Annual Freteval Open Golf Tournament, but one who did was Emmett Bone, erstwhile crepe king, who posted a nine hole total of 41 to carry the championship back to his native Texas. His was presented with a handsome prize consisting of a beautifully wrapped, satin-lined box of Gauloise butts. Being a non-smoker, he expressed the intention of carry them back to the Lone-Star State for his smoking buddy, Marve Goff, whose duties as Latrine Officer at Ellington Field prevented him from attending the reunion.
Gerry Musgrove went all out for Canada in the tourney, his first experience in the golfing game, and sunk his ball at the ninth hole with a 51 total which gave him second place. Defending champion Norm Binnie had lost eleven brand new golf balls by the time he reached the fourth hole and decided to call it a day. He plans to spend his weekly allowance on golf balls from now on in the hope of finishing the 1946 affair and predicts he’ll break 150. He blamed his poor performance this season on the fact that his old opponent, Bill Davis, was not on hand to spur his efforts. Davis telegraphed at the last moment that his wife was sick and could not attend.
Biggest disappointment of the reunion was Bill Bender’s moustache. No longer does he sport the luxuriant hirsute growths that were the pride of Freteval, but instead an anemic quarter inch fringe that even “Lucky” and Sam were able to outdo.
Though Allen suggested that the Escadrille sponsor three reunions during 1946, the more conservative element felt that one would be quite sufficient and after half an hour’s deliberation came up with Milwaukee as the best site. The choice was a very popular one, even with those who favored Chicago or St. Louis, and officials of the hotel, upon hearing it, told Monsieur Brayley they felt we had made the right decision.
Biggest railroading job of the three-day meeting was the unopposed selection of Brayley and Binnie as Secretary-Treasurer and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. They didn’t have a word to say about it. Johnson expressed the sentiments of everyone when he suggested “Lets be different. We don’t have to have a president or any other fancy officers..”, and that’s the way it’s going to be.
Brayley made a fine start by failing to arrive fort he final farewell dinner until the waiters were bringing desert, and since he was unable to see his desert, he was forced to go hungry for the evening. His only excuse, that of too much V-J Day celebration, was reluctantly accepted by the drink-befuddled Escadrille.
The V-J announcement had come one hour before the time appointed for the dinner so in years to come, we will celebrate not only our liberation, but the armistice of World War II as well. Come what may, no reunion will get more publicity than our first. We made front page in all the Cleveland papers and our pictures in three of them. Lenny Blair was interviewed on the radio and Larry Richards gave a V-J Day address from the public fountain in down-town Cleveland, informing the open-mouthed populace of the part the Escadrille played in winning the War.
One our reunion guests, Commandant Pierre Benedictus of the French Air Force, representing his government, enjoyed himself so much that he informed Monsieur Brayley that he was contacting General De Gaulle in an effort to secure honorary membership and Free French Air Force insignias for our entire membership. Our saviours, the Irving Chute Company, sent their president, Mr. George Waite, and Angus Mackenzie, the Canadian head of that company. Mr Waite spoke briefly in English while Commandant Benedictus responded to the demands of savant Harrell that he address the Escadrille in French. Mr Waite advised us that he would send out the history of the Caterpillar Club to all the members. Life of all the parties was genial Captain Karl Roth, representing the Fifth Armoured Division of General Patten’s Third Army which liberated us from Freteval.
Paul Clark came in 24 hours after the Reunion had terminated and found some of the gang still there who had waited to resume their drinking and bring their log up to date. With one final night of unofficial revelry, the stragglers staggered out of the Hotel Cleveland and headed back to their dull every-day life. See you in Milwaukee next August!
 This image is adapted from that on Alex Campbell's site |
Escadrille Soixante-Neuf
|
| Back L-R: Eacott
G. Allen**, 2, 3 Commandant Pierre
Benedictus, French Air Mission, 4 American military
representative, 5 Bill Bender, 6 Joe Foreman, 7
Jerry Musgrove, 8 Front L-R: 1, 2, 3 Jack Bester, 4, 5 Bill Brayley, 6 Norm Binnie, 7 Sam Dunseith, 8 Harwood Max Harrell*, 9 Alex Campbell, 10, 11 |
|
* via Amy Davis, his daughter; ** via Katharine Taylor, his sister
 Norman Binnie (right), Bill Brayley (middle), possibly at Cleveland 1945 source: Chris Rodusek |
 American airmen, possibly Freteval survivors, possibly at Cleveland 1945 source: Chris Rodusek (great grandson of Norman Binnie) |
ICI ET LA (Escadrille News Letter) by Bill Brayley
On my return from Cleveland, I received a letter from Marcel Rideau, the Freteval game warden and outside “contact man” for Camp No. 2. He thanked me for a parcel I had sent him and gave me all the news in and around Freteval.
“Bob”, the resistance boy from Paris who had visited us once or twice in Freteval, was down visiting Rideau and to take a look at the old camps. The two camps are now regular tourist attractions and people come from miles around to visit them and take pictures. At that rate maybe the French government [will make] National historical sites out of them. Both Rideau and René, our benefactor from Bousloup, have been having some rare old times together playing host to all our old resistance friends from Paris. Bob sends his regards to all the gang.
Among my latest batch of mail from France was also a letter from “Anny”, the young lady friend from Paris, who brought so many of the boys from the North and whose Paris apartment many of us stayed. Anny gives me the wonderful new that Virginia is alive and fairly well. She was liberated by the Russians and is now recuperating and regaining her health at Lake Constance. Anny was preparing things for her return to Paris which should be this month. In that batch of autographed documents I’m sending out to all of you to be signed I’m enclosing one for her which I will send to Anny to give her. I think she will be pleased as punch with it. We’ll have to try and get her to make the 1946 Reunion in Milwaukee.
At the Reunion I mentioned meeting an officer from the Belgium Intelligence in Montreal who was on his way back to Belgium. I gave him Jean’s particulars and he is trying to find him back in Brussels. I have also to write the head of the Belgium Intelligence to ask him to locate Jean for us. It would be really something to have him present at our 1946 Reunion. One of the programmes to be autographed will also be for him. I have now Philipp’s London business address, given to me by Joe Johnson and I will try to get in touch with him.
Anyone who did not attend the Cleveland affair and who would like a copy of the picture showing 19 of the boys before the golf tournement, may do so by getting in touch with the “Fine Arts Studios, 2031 Euclid Ave., Cleveland Ohio.” [1945!] I’m not sure what the price is but they’ll let you know. The shot includes our guests Pierre Benedictus and Captain Karl Roth.
Courtesy of the Pepall family: see also Alex Campbell's site
1 July 2008 from Katharine Taylor, sister of Eacott G. Allen: I have just returned from Le Mans & Connerre, France, where Garvin (as we called him) and James Fred Scott of Brownwood, Texas were honored, both posthumously, for their part in the liberation of this small area of France. It was a huge honor to represent him, and to finally be able to say "thank you" to some of the people who got him transported to Freteval Forest. Those people in the small village of Connerre are still very, very grateful for all the Americans who came to their rescue. Just thought you would want to know that.
page last updated 20 July 2008