The City of Namur commemorated on Sunday the 75th anniversary of the bombing committed by mistake by a US aircraft.
Two educational plates were inaugurated at the Belgrade cemetery, where many victims lie.
On 18 August 1944, US warplanes bombed downtown Namur by mistake, instead of destroying a bridge, the original target. More than 330 people were killed, and some 600 others seriously injured. 2,000 buildings were seriously damaged, of which 108 were completely destroyed. This event has left a scar that will remain forever in the heart of the now capital of Wallonia and of its inhabitants.
The two memorial plaques recall the facts and feature QR codes with direct access to information on the Internet. A dozen representatives of veteran associations, survivors and relatives were present to commend their inauguration and honour the victims of this sad episode in Namur’s history.
As happens every year, a wreath was laid at the memorial of Rue Saint-Nicolas at 6:12 PM — the precise time of the tragedy. A Mass was then celebrated in its church.
For this 75th anniversary, an organized tour about the bombing was also scheduled in Namur.
Furthermore, #Namur Citizen Initiatives reprinted at a low cost "Namur, le 18 août 1944", making the book available to a wide public. The book is also available online at www.18aout.be. The site has been recently updated with new stories and 20 additional photographs.
The Brussels Times
