In 1943, in the night, a lone parachutist fell into the garden of a French familly living in Normandie. His name was John Bawden, from Canada, and he was an observer in a two seater aircraft (I wouls suspect a Mosquito) that had just been shot down. He was not wounded, and the familly, and other locals hid him over the course of the next days, while an escape was organised by the Résistance. The girl of the familly was almost his age, and there was a bit of a love affaire between them. For his escape, John had to get rid of all his flight gear, that he gave away to the locals, and he gave this ring to the young girl.
After a bit, he escaped back to England, via Spain. The people who had helped him were informed of his arrival back in blighty by a coded message on the BBC.
After the war, John Baden went back to Normandy to visite the familly, but to his dismay, the young girl had gone already. Apparently, John Bawden latter had some kind of shoe factory in Canada, and then went on to open a franchise of hotels in the USA, if I remember what was told to me correctly.
After a bit, he escaped back to England, via Spain. The people who had helped him were informed of his arrival back in blighty by a coded message on the BBC.
After the war, John Baden went back to Normandy to visite the familly, but to his dismay, the young girl had gone already. Apparently, John Bawden latter had some kind of shoe factory in Canada, and then went on to open a franchise of hotels in the USA, if I remember what was told to me correctly.
I think I've seen the same type of ring for sale recently. I'll see if I can get photos of it.
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