Harley WLA monument in Belgium

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Johan WILLAERT
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Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:42 am

Can't remember if I ever posted anything about this, but anyway...
Below is the WLA monument that was inaugurated in Rumes, Belgium in 2009...
Rumes is a very small village on the French-Belgian border which was 'liberated' by a WLA rider of the 2nd Armored Division 'Hell on Wheels' in early September 1944.
When the rider realised he had crossed the border, he turned back as that day he wasn't supposed to drift that far ahead of the main unit... But the incident made him the first American in Belgium that day...
The following days, the 2AD would liberate large parts of Belgium...

Image

To see the spot in Google Maps:
http://maps.google.nl/maps?ll=50.524299 ... &t=h&hl=nl"

Enjoy,

Johan
Last edited by Johan WILLAERT on Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by lowbonnet » Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:19 am

Very nice! And with a nice story behind it. Is the name of the soldier known?
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Wed Mar 23, 2011 2:36 am

lowbonnet wrote:Very nice! And with a nice story behind it. Is the name of the soldier known?
No, unlike James Carroll of the 628th Tank Destorer Bn whose story you will find at the top of my website here: http://www.theliberator.be/liberator1.htm

this particular Harley rider remains unknown..
Therefore this monument honors all WW2 GIs who participated in the liberation of our country...
Last edited by Johan WILLAERT on Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Bcmd1 » Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:41 am

My Dad who was a WLA Rider remembers “Liberating “a town in Belgium or Holland where he was the only soldier to
Enter the town. The Statue has an uncanny resemblance.
His name is Zeke DeVane still alive with vivid memories.
CFE6677F-EB4F-49EB-9A62-681830CF9288.jpeg
CFE6677F-EB4F-49EB-9A62-681830CF9288.jpeg (60.15 KiB) Viewed 3237 times
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by OLDABEWLA » Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:05 pm

Nice photo!

The front fender has the markings of the 2nd Armored division could you ask your father what else the other markings are?
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by OLDABEWLA » Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:10 pm

Nice photo!

The front fender has the markings of the 2nd Armored division could you ask your father what else the other markings are?
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:54 pm

OLDABEWLA wrote:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:05 pm
Nice photo!

The front fender has the markings of the 2nd Armored division could you ask your father what else the other markings are?
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3rd Vehicle, Service Company, 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division...
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by OLDABEWLA » Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:21 am

Johan,

You think there is any connection with the monument and the GI in the photo?
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Bcmd1 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 4:49 pm

Exactly right 2nd Armored Division 41st Armored infantry service vehicle 3. Here is an additional picture.
18EC608B-B7A0-4FF0-B792-244583A81FA9.jpeg
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Bcmd1 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 5:32 pm


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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Thu Nov 16, 2017 5:24 am

OLDABEWLA wrote:
Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:21 am
You think there is any connection with the monument and the GI in the photo?
NO, I don't think so... The monument was created as a generic MC rider of the 2AD...
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Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Lib45 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:33 am

I second that opinion: although dad DeVane was in one of those occasions so it seems, many towns in northern France, Belgium, southern Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany itself first saw a scouting WLA rider before the rest of the army came through..
So this belgian statue isn't just for a particular single occasion, it was placed to commemorate a general memory of the liberation..

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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Lib45 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 8:40 am

......but that's me...

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Re: Harley WLA monument in Belgium

Post by Alex Schmidt » Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:52 pm

The very blurry picture with the three riders, It looks like they are on Indian 640's
Is there a higher resolution picture somewhere?

Thanks, Alex
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