The side of the church in Chenebier where 39 men were murderedOn the corner of the right side of the church at Chenebier, there is a plaque that reads, "Place of those who were shot and of French remembrance." Beside the church is a small square, floored with concrete pavers. A hedge screens it from the neighbors' farmhouse.
The polished marble plaque on the side of the church is what takes words and breath away. It lists the names of the 39 men and boys who were m
urdered that day in September 1944. The sheer number of names is the first thing that shocked me: that many bodies piled up in this small space. The second shock is the names themselves. There are so many of the same family name. Brothers and fathers, cousins and brothers-in-law, adopted sons, died together that day.
The plaque listing the names of those who died against the church wall on September 27, 1944