Rue de la Messe, Vesly, France

On the southern side of Rue de la Messe in Vesly, on the wall of a house, is a black commemorative plaque that remembers the courage and care of the Mispolet family. For over a year, the family and their home served as the hiding place for S/Sgt. Roland H. Jenkins⇗, a waist gunner with the 544th Bomb Squadron.

On June 26, 1943, Jenkins was forced to bail out of his aircraft, B-17F 42-30031⇗. Because his harness was loose, he was badly jarred when his parachute opened, resulting in injuries to his shoulder and groin. These injuries earned him the Purple Heart. In his Escape and Evasion Report⇗, Jenkins reported that he landed in a tree in the Bois des Couqueheaumont, three miles north of Bernouville, Eure. After leaving his chute in the tree, he walked about a mile and hid in the woods. The following day, he met a Frenchman from whom he bought civilian clothes; he then buried his uniform and headed toward Paris.

During his journey, Jenkins contacted a shepherd who took him to the home of René Mispolet in Vesly. René was about 68 years old and had previously lived in Canada, which allowed him to speak English. He lived with his mother and two sisters, Alice and Angèle, earning a living by renting harvesting equipment to neighboring farmers. Jenkins remained hidden in their home from June 1943 until July 1944. During his stay, both the mother and one sister passed away, leaving only René and Alice. Despite a German Panzer division conducting training in the immediate vicinity in January 1944, Jenkins was never discovered.

In August 1944, he was moved to a churchyard in nearby Hacqueville before eventually connecting with a column of the 19th Highlanders on August 29. Jenkins returned to the Mispolet home in 1995 to dedicate the plaque that remains there today.

The monument text reads: "DANS CETTE MAISON, DE JUIN 1943 JUSQU'A JUILLET 1944 LA FAMILLE MISPOLET - RENE, ALICE, ANGELE, ET LEUR MERE - A DONNE ASILE A UN JEUNE AVIATEUR AMERICAIN BLESSE. QUE DIEU LES BENISSE ETERNELLEMENT." In English, the inscription states: "From June 1943 to July 1944, the Mispolet family - Rene, Alice, Angele, and their mother - gave asylum to a wounded young American aviator in this house. May God bless them eternally. Roland H. Jenkins. 1995."

Further details about the memorial and location can be found on American War Memorials Overseas, Inc.⇗