The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-21
''We're Glad Your Here," French Tell YankS Who Bombed Their Town
BY ROsRTTR HlAR0R0vR NEA Staff CoFrespenednt

AN~~UNNN AaeNAAg &NAEN8NNNAA Allies whose bombing attacks have wrecked almost every one of the thousand homes in this martrycd town. Only the beautiful Cou- tances Cathedral, with its slender twin spires, miraculously escaped nnnihilation.
 Yet, despite the devastation and suffering which liberation has Drought to this once smiling Nor- mandy province, the people of of Coutances are full of courage. Though they still suffer from shock. they are preparing to tackle the vast work of reconstruction ahead Of them. They face the future with calmness and confidence.
 All the people have smiles of erecting for Americans in uni form.
 We are 80 glad you are here" they would invariably say.
 They have endured gruelling experiences. There are entire Families in both Saint To and Coutances who have been com- pl etely wiped out. Others have lost trace of their children in the shuttle of nasty evacuation. 1t seemed incredible that only a short while ago. the town had been the scene of a fierce attask.
 There were only a handful of people gathered on the Place du Pavis in front of the Cathedral. where I found the Mayor, pr. Henri Guillard.
 LIBERATION IS COSTLY
 AS I sat in his ofIlce and listened to his story, realized what a price these people had had to pay for their liberation. But at the same time I felt that the flame of pa- triotism burned brightly and fierce iy. There Is a tri-color flag on the spire of the Cathedral. It was placed there by the town watch maker when the first Americans came. The Germans were less than 800 yards away.
 Coutances was bombed on D. Day with two attacks which last- ed several hours. Seven days lac ter. our planes attacked again. drop ping incendiaries. That was when two hit the nave Of the Cathe- dral, but by great fortune were immediately extinguished.
 pr. Guillard recounted how he started his first amputation at 2 o'clock at night and worked on steadily for 90 hours without a break though his house had been completely demolished and he and his family escaped death by Q miracle. There were between 800 and zoo people killed that first night.
 Tl0 Germans systematically pillaged every house in the town. They even took away live stock. Many of the inhabitants had hid den their most precious osses- sions, linen. silver, wine, soon after the occupation. Few will ever find them again. l talked to Madame Gilbert, wife Of the local engineer, who said that 1t had taken her IS minutes to locate the spot on which her house stood. Another told me how she was the only woman left in the town and had worked as stretcher bearer. She had helped bury 75 dead, working day and night for 72 hours without any sleep at all.
 C0utapees is without light or water. Most of the people have only the clothes they stand in or small suitcase. No civilian Is ale what they could carry away in a lowed back in town. The houses that are still standing have not set been elared of booby traps. FEED lS,e10
 The problem of evacuation was Q tremendous one for Df. Gull. lard. All but 100 Of the 5000 peo- ple in c0ulanees have been sent to coutainyille, little family seaside resort that had been al' most entirely requlslioned and taken over by { eh Germans as a rest center, Here, at least, they had not had much time for plllage,
 Soup kitchens were immediate, ly started. Before long, the popu- lailOn swelled to i5I000 as people of neighboFing villages and small towns fl0eked there, The kitchen l saw was serving from 900 t0 1900 meals twice . day, At noon served, and at night large bowl of thick vegetable soup was pros ylded. Food Is minor problem for the moment, There Is plenty of fresh meat and vegetables, milk and cheese, The American Army had just brought iD 90 tons Of flour, the wheat crop Is said 10 be excellent, and while farmers are sadly lacking in farming inlv plemenls, there will be enough wheat for winter months, FOr- tunately the Germans had not had time 10 mine the fields as ln other sections Of the Department
 Medical supplies wlll soon bf furnished l0 us by our American friends Rald the mayor, MY own clinic vas stripped by the 6elgnans before they left, The only thing they did not take away was nly operating table,
 tfA HNRHAH " h9Hhht4AAa RbtNh with great affection 0lf lheiP Bgs yeags0ld bishop, M0nseleneur The0s phile L0nYard, IEe refused 10 abaN' don hls town nbpiil his palaef was burned out by ineendlaTies BiR started out aD foot, Beyond the walls Of the towD Dc met . taTlN cart and sought refuge M gaglNh0usa some six miles away, where he has been llylng RYeg since EIe plans ol a0me back te GenlaneeF very soon 10 minister 10 his flock
 Mayor 0ulllaFd has great plans f0p his town, Aside from the fact that haneef0glh ls will he the capital Nf the Manehe Department, lD place Of Saint To, hl kamblll0n ls l0 rebuild eenpianees en m0ds eVn lines while Rlill relalnlng all