A Commemoration of The Loss of Lancaster PB346 at Montrevault-sur-Evre
 
On Saturday 6th July 2024, a ceremony was held in France to mark the 80th anniversary of the crash of a 44 Squadron Lancaster in WWII. The commemoration was attended by English descendants of two of the crew members. The event had been organised by the commune of Montrevault-sur-Evre, in conjunction with the Bosseau-Lepine family.
 
On July 27 1944, the Lancaster crashed in the middle of a field, opposite the house of Denise Metais, née Bosseau, then aged 6 and a half. On board were seven airmen aged 19 to 33, six English and one Canadian: Anthony Barker 28, Ernest John Courtenay 19, Alfred Craven 33, Robert Geoffrey Dean 22, Wilfried Robert Little 22, Donald Neil McKechnie 24 and Richard Arthur Williams 20. All crew members died when the aircraft crashed.
 
To pay tribute to the crew of Lancaster PB346, a ceremony was organised in two parts. In the morning, a commemoration was held at the aviators' monument with a speech by Jean-Michel Menard, deputy mayor of La Boissiere, followed by the testimonies of Denise Metais and Jean-Luc Menard.